Warp-it reuse platform

UCL redistributes items around the university, diverting them from recycling and waste, reducing carbon emissions and contributing to the UCL’s target of reducing waste per person by 20% by 2024.

Staff are able to donate and claim surplus reusable items from elsewhere at the university using the online redistribution platform Warp-it.  

“Staff can redistribute items including furniture, stationery, electrical items, or educational resources,” says Alex Jones (Sustainable UCL). “Using Warp-it, we’ve reused thousands of chairs, specialist laser equipment – and even a reed longboat made for a theatre prop.” 

UCL has remained one of the biggest university users of the online platform since it began using it in 2012 and has the highest number of active users of any organisation. In its first six years, use of the platform had saved UCL a total of £0.5 million. 

In 2018–19, UCL staff reused more than 70,000 items, diverting more than 26, tonnes of waste from recycling and waste, and saving almost 167,000kg of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking 53 cars off the road or planting 203 trees.  

Warp-it complements other schemes at UCL that encourage staff to reuse chemicals and research equipment, as well as swap shops and repair cafes.  

“They are all contributing to us consuming less by reducing, reusing, repairing and sharing – so that we reduce our waste per person by 20% by 2024,” says Alex.