The re-use of resources is really important to the University of Reading, from both a financial and environmental perspective. The University of Reading has adopted a Re-Use policy which embeds the importance of seeking “to promote re-use of items that are still fit for purpose and in good condition”..”as a preferred alternative to disposal/recycling and as an environmentally friendly alternative to buying new”. The policy sets out a re-use hierarchy which gives internal re-use within the University the priority, then re-use within the local community, which is then followed by re-use by staff or students for personal use.
Surplus furniture from across the University is managed using our Warpit portal, to which any member of staff can request to access and can then advertise / claim items for internal University use for free. It provides an easy way for staff to help reuse more items, save the University money and also reduce the amount going to be recycled or thrown away as general waste.
In late 2022 the University was approached by the Co-chairs of the Friends of Redlands – which is the Parent and Teacher Association for Redlands Primary School, Lydford Road, Reading, to see if there was any second-hand furniture that could be donated to the school – which is located less than 200m from the edge of Whiteknights campus.
The University was able to donate 48 items of pre-loved furniture from Warpit, which hadn’t been claimed for internal re-use within the University. This included tables, chairs, desks, bookshelf units and cupboards. The school plans to use the furniture in a newly created Community Room and also in some of the school offices.
