It's one of Central Washington University's hidden gems. The surplus warehouse resells thousands of waste items and ultimately works to protect the environment.

Trucks pull in every day to dump their loads. It may just look like a pile of junk to you but to people living in Ellensburg and even Yakima, it's a smart purchase.

"A good functional flat panel monitor, we would sell that to you for $15," said the Material Resource Manager Dave Moffatt.

Everyday at the warehouse, piles of "so-called trash" are sorted through, re-cycled and reused. Even hazardous and universal waste are either properly disposed of or recycled. In 2012, CWU handled almost 5 tons of universal waste alone like fluorescent bulbs and batteries.

Read more here.

Photo and story courtesy of KNDO/KNDU news.