The University of Salford Environmental Sustainability Team is proud to report our savings from reuse have surpassed £250,000! To enable us to better facilitate and track the reuse of items, in 2015 we adopted the reuse portal Warp It to save money and reduce our impact on the planet. Ten years on it has really proved its value.
Zoe Pegg, Environmental Management Assistant who leads on Warp It said “We’ve surpassed our targets and made a positive impact in the University and beyond. We’re absolutely thrilled, and our brilliant team of handypersons and the transport team can give themselves a well-earned pat on the back”
What is Warp It?
Warp It is an online portal that is designed to rehome surplus items across the university and in a wider network. It helps to create savings at a department level and for us to be smarter with our resources as a whole. It works like other second-hand marketplaces, but for organisations not individuals.
Warp It also links us up with schools, hospitals and charities so more people can benefit from the circular economy. Our 2024 highlights include donating over 1000 lab coats to Greater Manchester colleges, and over 100 chairs to schools in Ghana.
Whether you’re claiming small stationery items or office furniture, Warp It can be used for anything. We even helped the Film Production team locate props for their new sets in the Newton building, read more about their expansion.
Our Success so Far
So far on the system we’ve achieved:
- £253,000 costs avoided
- 55 tonnes waste avoided
- 154 tonnes of CO2e avoided
- £45,000 donated
Thank you to the staff already involved and contributing to a circular economy, over 400 of you!
Why Reuse
The Waste Hierarchy is a framework designed to guide waste management decisions, prioritising waste prevention and reuse then recycling and energy recovery over disposal which is the last resort. It is critical to use equipment for as long as possible and combat the throw-away and buy-new culture, as well as not relying on recycling to save us. We also work with companies that repair or upcycle and resell things that we could not find a new home for.
Recently the Crescent Green Team, part of our Green Impact programme, implemented their own departmental reuse project which encouraged people to clear out their desks for things they no longer need. They collected an impressive amount of stationery items, advertising them on Warp It enabling them to be rehomed within other departments, Chorlton High School and a London University! Remaining items are being donated to charity and our students. This is a great example of the reach of the Warp It scheme and the positive impact it can achieve.
How you can help
If you have any surplus items in your office add them to the system for others to claim, or if you are buying something new this week search Warp It to make sure there’s not already one spare! You can register for Warp It here.
If you have any questions please see the reuse page or get in contact with Zoe Pegg.