Warp-it

Warp-it is linked to your University of Reading IT Username and password, so, after you have registered as a Warp-it user, you will then automatically be logged into your Warp-it account whenever you are logged into your University IT account on an applicable device (this is called Single Sign On).  Click on this link to go to the University’s Warp-it sign-up page and then click on the green ‘Register Now’ or ‘Create Account’ button.  You will need to use your University email address and phone number to register.  You will receive a confirmation email once your account is approved.  Please allow up to 3 days for your registration to be processed; but if you think something’s gone wrong, or you need access quickly, please call x6968.

The website address for the University’s Warp-it portal is www.warp-it.co.uk/RUrecycling.  If you are logged into your University IT account, then you should be automatically re-directed to your personal Warp-it account (if this is not the case, there will be a log-in box on the right-side of the page, where you will need to enter your Warp-it account details).  The Your Dashboard page is your main homepage.  The My Network button shows all the items available at the University.  You can return to Your Dashboard at any point by clicking the University logo in the top-left corner of the screen, or the My Account link on the black bar at the top of the screen.  Items are available on a first-come, first served basis.

Use Add an Item to offer surplus items for re-use.  Please ensure you have permission from your budget holder to advertise items.  It is best to add as much information about the item as possible, including a photo.  As a guide, items should typically be advertised for a minimum of one month in line with the Re-Use Policy.  You can advertise an item in advance by setting an “advertise from” date (i.e an available from date) – other people can see the details of the item but cannot claim it until it is available.  If no-one claims your item by the deadline you set, either re-advertise or complete a disposal request.  If you have identified a company/person who you think might be interested in the equipment, please discuss this with the University’s Procurement Team.

Click on the listing, select how many of the item you would like (if there is more than one available) and click on the “Claim” button.  You can also ask questions about the item (for example to clarify the size or colour) by using the button on the listing.  It is your responsibility to check the item before you claim it – it is advised that you arrange a viewing where necessary.  For items located in Elmhurst Barn, you can arrange a viewing by contacting the Porters via porters@reading.ac.uk.  Elmhurst Barn is located at the junction of Elmhurst Road and Upper Redlands Road, with access through the parking area for 5-11 Elmhurst Road.

The person claiming the item(s) is responsible for arranging and covering the cost of collection/delivery of the item.  The claim confirmation email will contain details of what to do.  If you require the Porters to assist with delivery of items to locations on any campus, please complete the Porters Job Request Form or complete an online Estates Helpdesk Request form.  During “take-home clearances”, please note that the Porters cannot assist with collecting and delivering items for third party organizations, or for staff taking items home – for more information on this, refer to Section 3.

When items you have claimed on Warp-it have been delivered to you, or collected by you, please mark each one as received.  Log in and go to “My Claims” and then “Items to collect”.  You will see a list of items you have claimed.  On the right-hand side of the list is an icon shaped like a house – click on this and then on “set as collected”.

For items listed as being located in Elmhurst Barn, you are welcome to visit Elmhurst Barn to view these items, however, it is not normally manned – visits can be booked by contacting the Porters (porters@reading.ac.uk).  If you want to claim items, you must claim them via Warp-it.  You cannot claim an item by asking the Porters to reserve it for you, nor by putting a notice on an item. You cannot take an item from Elmhurst Barn unless you have already claimed it via Warp-it and you can show the claim email to the Porters. Elmhurst Barn is located at the junction of Elmhurst Road and Upper Redlands Road, with access through the parking area for 5-11 Elmhurst Road.

If the item has already been delivered to you:  it is your responsibility to re-advertise it via Warp-it, or to raise a Waste Disposal Request for it to be removed by the Porters.

If the item has not been delivered yet:  Log in and go to “My Claims” and then “Items to collect”.  There is an option to cancel the claim, which will only notify the item owner – it will not notify Portering.  Therefore, you must also make sure to cancel any Portering assistance or you may still be charged (and may also receive the item!).

Please contact the person who has claimed the item and remind them to collect it.  If, after a reasonable length of time, they have not responded to you, or have not arranged collection, contact waste@reading.ac.uk and the claim can be cancelled, allowing your item to be re-advertised via Warp-it.

For items in Elmhurst Barn: if the person claiming the item has not contacted the Porters within 3 weeks of the claim date to discuss delivery, or no WREN for delivery has been raised within 3 weeks of the claim date, the claim will be cancelled and the item re-advertised.

If you have an item you believe to have significant value, or if you wish to sell an item belonging to your department, please contact Procurement for advice (procurement@reading.ac.uk).  Please also consider whether your item might be suitable to send to UniGreenScheme, the University’s equipment reseller.  Items cannot be sold on Warp-it.  If you feel that the item is unusual and you require assistance advertising it on Warp-it, or you are not sure if it should be advertised, please contact waste@reading.ac.uk for advice.

Misuse of Warp-it will be investigated and appropriate action taken, which could include suspension or removal of users’ accounts from Warp-it.  Examples of misuse include (but are not limited to):

• Persistently advertising items with a short date without good reason, to fast-track donations to third-parties or so staff can take items home.
• Persistently claiming your own items without adequately advertising them in line with guidance above (see Section 2).
• Claiming items marked for business use only, but then taking them home.

These would be against the University’s Re-Use Policy, as internal re-use has priority over re-use by third-parties and personal use by staff.

If you or your department have unwanted items that you want to get rid of straight away and don’t have time to advertise on Warp-it, please complete an online Waste Disposal Request Form (do not complete a Help Desk Request).  Schools and Functions must cover the cost of disposal of unwanted waste items in line with the University’s Waste Services Recharge Policy. For this reason, a valid Project Code must be given when filling in the Waste Disposal Request Form. Each category of item on the Form has a different disposal charge, so the total disposal cost will be calculated automatically when the Form is submitted. Once a Disposal Request is received it will be processed by the Estates Helpdesk and a Portering Job will be raised and assigned a WREN reference number. The Porters will then collect the items for disposal.

Where items of furniture in good condition are sent for disposal via the Waste Disposal Request Form process, the Porters will collect them and assess them, and, at their discretion, might then put them into Elmhurst Barn, but only if there is space available.  Broken or unusable items will be skipped by the Porters.  Any items put into Elmhurst Barn will be viewed by Sustainability Services and they will upload the item details onto the Warp-it portal (as the Admin), so that there is a second chance for them to be claimed for business use at the University. When items are ‘saved’ in this way, the disposal charge paid by the original owner when they filled-in the Waste Disposal Request covers the subsequent storage and advertisement on Warp-it, and also covers final disposal, if the item isn’t claimed.

If you want to discuss this further, please contact waste@reading.ac.uk