31 December 2017

The University's Reuse website, reuse@leeds has been upgraded

Originally built in 2009, the reuse@leeds website has saved hundreds of thousands of pounds in surplus furniture and equipment by allowing departments to share surplus assets across the campus.

Reuse at Leeds Logo

"In response to feedback, we have made the new website much easier to use, whilst also including additional features," says Sustainability Projects Co-ordinator Mike Howroyd. "The new site reduces administration by maintaining accurate records, and also calculating our carbon and financial savings, which are automatically updated”.

The new site introduces a new ‘leader board’ function, allowing faculties to compare their savings in real time and individuals can even download their own reuse reports! People can reserve items as well as create ‘wish-lists’ or even temporarily ‘loan’ items. “Our strategy is to work towards a circular economy, thinking bigger than the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ concept to properly embrace the way we purchase and manage our resources efficiently. The new reuse upgrade allows us to achieve this in a user-friendly and fun way.”

The new site is hosted externally and this allows us the potential of sharing our resources with other organisations, further reducing carbon impact as well as purchase and disposal costs. “We aim to link up with the Leeds Teaching Trust and Leeds Beckett in the near future and as the WarpIT system is free for charities to use, we give our surplus assets every possible chance of reuse rather than recycling.” said Mike Howroyd.Technicians across the campus have successfully used the site in the past with examples ranging from large scale to small.

From Physics, Angela tells us, “We used it to good effect when we had the first year undergraduate physics lab benching/storage totally refitted in 2012. I advertised the old wooden large lab desks (6ft by 3ft), various wooden cupboards & wooden stools on there. Engineering took 10 large benches, Biology took all 72 stools and most of the cupboards went to 4 other departments.” Sue from the Leeds Dental Institute used the site to similar effect when Oral Biology relocated to St. James’s.

In the Faculty of Biological Science research technician Lewis uses the site to either respond to items listed, such as a waterbath and a CO2 incubator. He also requested items like a computer screen, which came from safety and wellbeing, a toaster from the Facilities Directorate and a kettle. Jennie from FBS has responded to requests, such as sending unwanted Christmas decorations up to the Faculty of Arts, providing bamboo canes for bee and bug hotels, and key tags up to the Senior Executive Team in the Ziff Building.

Bee and bug hotelBee and bug hotel

Users can use the existing link (http://reuse.leeds.ac.uk) to access the site and login is with your normal university login information. By registering you can opt to receive notifications when items are requested, this will be particularly useful when replying to loan requests. Who knows what treasures you may have hidden at the backs of your cupboards that may be of use to others!


Written by Jennie Hibbard

Posted in: