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Launched in Sustainability Week 2025, the University’s internal reuse platform, Warp It, has afforded £300,442 savings, and prevented 36.6 tonnes of waste and 136.9 tonnes of CO2e emissions in just 12 months.
Launched by Sustainability and facilitated by Mail and Transport, the platform enables all University of Liverpool staff to conveniently list surplus and unwanted items and to claim these items for reuse elsewhere on campus. This not only prevents waste, but it also reduces new purchases, achieving considerable financial savings and environmental protections, while conserving staff time.
The success of the project can be attributed to the keen uptake by University staff, with 1311 registered Warp It users – a number that continues to grow each month. The operations provided by Mail and Transport’s Heavy Gang has also been essential to the service, as has their management of the University’s central storage facility as well as the collection and delivery of items. IT Services colleagues have also provided valuable IT support throughout the development of Warp It. Sustainability continue to manage the platform, developing and improving the service and expanding use-cases.
What has been exchanged via Warp It?
Furniture was the most exchanged with 1732 items reused, however, just about any item can be transferred using Warp It. To date, this has included 12 items of specialist equipment, from theodolites to ladders, 20 appliances and electrical items, including smartboards, oil heaters and fridges, 159 laboratory consumables, such as glassware and pipette tip boxes, and 11 items of stationery, including hole punches and cable tidies.
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Furniture | 1732 |
| Specialist equipment | 12 |
| Appliances and electrical equipment | 20 |
| Laboratory consumables | 159 |
| Stationery | 11 |
There are currently 307 active items available on Warp It, ranging from furniture and stationery to liquid nitrogen dewars and catering equipment.
Is there anything that can't be exchanged via Warp It?
Just about any University item can be listed and transferred for internal reuse using Warp It. Exceptions include personal items, data-bearing devices, and contaminated or hazardous items. As Warp It includes messaging that has been customised to the University, it also acts as a triaging service, reminding staff of transfer requirements and limitations, as well as signposting to alternative services and guidance.
What's next for Warp It?
Charitable donations
Sustainability recently activated a charitable donation option within Warp It. While internal reuse should always be the default approach, items that have been listed for an extended period and are unlikely to be claimed internally can now be marked as available for donation to charities, NHS trusts and schools across the Northwest.
Charities that aren’t already on Warp It can join for free to gain access to a range of donated items free of charge. For more information and to share with local charities that you work with, please visit www.warp-it.co.uk/charities.
Upcycling and repair
Following a successful sustainability project with residential services to reupholster and upcycle existing sofas, there are plans to expand this to the furniture available via Warp It. As items reclaimed from across the University estate can be worn, mismatched or misaligned with current aesthetic requirements, complementary reupholstering and upcycling services can help give these items a refresh and ensure they’re cohesive with any colour scheme or design requirements, whilst still preventing waste and reducing costs.
Beyond furniture
One of the benefits of Warp It is that it’s not restricted to furniture. Sustainability are working to expand awareness of the platform and potential use cases, such as IT accessories (keyboards, monitors, mice), educational equipment, and surplus or reclaimed building and maintenance materials. With this, the team are confident they can reach their target of achieving over £1 million in savings by 2031.
Find out more
For further information about Warp It in general, visit www.getwarpit.com. You can also view Frequently Asked Questions here.
If you have any questions about Warp It at the University of Liverpool, please review our Warp It guidance, here, or get in touch via warpit@liverpool.ac.uk.