Reusing lab and medical equipment and medical research or biomedical devices has proven challenging in the past.

This is because these devices, equipment, and machines are often highly technical pieces of kit with variable specifications, meaning there are many more critical factors to consider when reusing in comparison to office furniture and stationery demands.

For example, some lab and medical equipment may include dangerous parts and require special training to operate. Others may or require a user manual, or legal, maintenance, and service documentation.

The parameters and standards affecting the reuse of lab equipment must be considered, including the management of biological and chemical safety and decontamination.

Following our lab consultation in March 2022 we partnered with The University of Queensland to increase the rate and improve the safe facilitation of the reuse of lab, and medical and biomedical equipment.

In summary, we’ve added extra categories to ensure all relevant details can be included when uploading items to the Warp It redistribution system.

We have also added a holding facility where lab kit can be checked over before going live on the market, to ensure accuracy and safety.

This update will ensure a new lease of life for lab equipment in a safe and coordinated way, while making the process easier for reuse admins, and those responsible for transporting these items.

Read on for guidance on how to access this feature.

A Warp It feature often overlooked, but proven to be very popular, is the capability of setting up sites, campuses and even departments on the system.

NHS Trusts, universities, blue light organisations and councils will usually have more than one site or campus and are often spread across a town, city or in some cases regions.

Warp It will ensure that the location of the items you've added to the system can be easily be identified, making life easier for members, those in charge of transporting the items and admins.

Read on for guidance on how this can be done.

Annual global waste is rapidly growing, and it’s projected that it will hit a colossal 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050.

There are many reasons why someone may want to delete their Warp It account. They may be moving on to work for another organisation or perhaps taking a lead on other projects as their career develops.

As part of our ongoing security measures, we have made it easy for members to delete their membership account.

Furthermore, we send notifications to inactive accounts at 3, 6 and 12 months. We will automatically delete inactive accounts after 12 months.

However, we also want to reduce data risks and so remove inactive accounts. 

Sometimes you may want to ensure any items you're adding to Warp It and allocated outside of your organisation. 

This feature is particularly useful when wanting to offer unwanted items as donations to charities and schools. 

It stops confusion with internal members who might view them and then try and claim them.

Every now and then you may need to reject staff member who request to register with Warp It.

Warp It users often have different ways of dealing with electrical items.

Some use Warp It to redistribute surplus electricals around their estate and beyond.

Sometimes you do not find a match for your surplus assets internally or even within the community. But you do not want to send those assets to landfill. 

You work in a massive organisation with loads of staff. Have you ever thought that your staff might want to take away your surplus assets?

While rare, there may be times you want to pause your reuse activities.

The Covid-19 pandemic is an example of when this may be needed. Pausing the Warp It portal will stop all staff notifications and ensure no third parties turn up on your premises expecting to collect items.   

Here is a guide on how to use the Warp it portal pause feature.