WARPit scheme steps up a gear

Published: 11 September 2014

The University of Glasgow is encouraging staff to try out the UK-wide WARPit network when seeking office equipment. WARPit is an environmentally friendly scheme for reducing public sector spend, waste and supply chains.

The University of Glasgow is encouraging staff to try out the UK-wide WARPit network when seeking office equipment or trying to get rid of it. WARPit is an environmentally friendly scheme for reducing public sector spend, waste and supply chains.

University web pages outlining the scheme and offering guidance and links are now 'live'.

Visit the Furniture and Equipment Recycling page. 

"Our mission is to provide a network where organisations keep their equipment, assets and "stuff" circulating to reduce spend, waste and supply chain environmental impacts" WARPit

WARPit was started in 2005 by individuals from the waste management industry. They had become frustrated after seeing furniture and equipment in perfectly good condition being sent to waste landfill sites. They reasoned that many busy staff in organisations found it just to challenging to find a new home for surplus items, quickly and easily.

The current online exchange website was launched last year and now has more than 1000 schools, 1000 charities and over half the University sector in the UK using the service, as well as Councils, the NHS and the private sector. This year WARPit picked up its first overseas customer. 

The University's Green Champions have been promoting the WARPit exchange for some time, but you can now find much more information, including advice on how to access and set up a WARPit account.

Currently, the transfer of items from the University's Govan furniture store to campus is free of charge. Some other points worth noting:

  • The cost of transferring an item between any of our campus buildings is £10
  • The cost for transferring an item to Govan furniture store, should it not be able to remain in situ, is £15
  • For comparative purposes, the current cost of disposal for a large item of furniture is in the region of £40

Even during its pilot stages, the University of Glasgow's WARPit site was able to claim 12,144 tonnes of CO2 saved or five cars taken off the road or 4563 tonnes of waste avoided.  The cash saving equates to £30,166.

Read the University's Environmental Policy

First published: 11 September 2014

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