Disposition Services joins ReMA ’26

Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services sent contracting and property specialists to the Recycled Materials Association’s annual convention in Las Vegas from April 13 to 16, joining more than 6,000 suppliers, recyclers, and service providers as the agency works to keep its surplus sales program aligned with private-sector standards.

The outreach comes as the agency emphasizes that roughly 80% of the property turned in to DLA Disposition Services leaves its sites through public sales contracts. Public Sales Division Chief Brian Smith said attendance by contracting personnel helps them hear directly from industry professionals and better align surplus property contracts with market practices, a priority that tracks with Director Mike Cannon’s vision for the organization. “It’s important to know where this industry is going so we’re not left behind, and it helps us to know what we need to do to move towards industry best practices and what they are doing,” Smith said. “We want to keep our team and operations up to date with new technologies and how best to utilize new processes.”

Program leaders say visibility at premier industry events raises awareness of how the department disposes of excess materiel, while providing a venue to listen to and learn from private-sector counterparts and ensure contracts reflect best practices. The four-day gathering also served as a forum for networking and professional development. “A conference like this allows us to establish and build relationships, which can also lead to moving property, reducing costs to the warfighter, and maintaining lethality as best as we can,” Property Disposal Specialist Scott Rogers said.

Sales Contracting Officer Kris Smoker, who oversees usable and scrap property and hazardous materials overseas, said the convention also helps educate companies about DLA Disposition Services’ role and capabilities. The agency has worked to close knowledge gaps among buyers who may not have realized they could purchase directly from the government rather than through intermediaries. “When we first started attending these conventions, people didn’t realize that it was our scrap they were purchasing because they were actually working with a vendor,” Smith said. “Now these other organizations are learning that they can buy directly from us, resulting in savings for the taxpayer.”

DLA Disposition Services, part of the Defense Logistics Agency, is unusual among federal organizations in that it can sell eligible items to the public to offset military disposal costs—an approach the agency says helps limit the burden on taxpayers. Officials say tracking advances in infrastructure and materials processing at industry conferences helps ensure disposal professionals apply evolving technologies to support the warfighter.

Information about current offerings is available on the DLA Disposition Services public sales webpage: https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Public-Sales-Offerings/