Carbon and cost savings tally up for innovative recycling scheme Warp-it

An innovative project employed by Shropshire Council to reuse and recycle items is saving carbon and costs.

Warp-it (Waste Action Re-use Portal) is open to Shropshire Council staff, schools, and not for profit organisations across the county, enabling them to source and donate almost any kind of item.

Warp-it logo

Since its launch in 2018, users have helped save more than 72,000 tonnes of carbon, avoided more than 30,000kgs of waste being dumped, and saved more than £125,000 in procurement and disposal costs.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for climate change, natural assets and the green economy, welcomed the savings:-

“Our aim at Shropshire Council is to reuse and redistribute equipment and resources wherever possible. Since becoming a member of Warp-It we have made staggering financial savings in procurement and disposal costs, as well as considerably reducing supply chain environmental impacts.

“The carbon and costs savings are significant, and are the equivalent of planting nearly 100 trees or removing 31 cars from the road. We are delighted the scheme has been so well used, and we are now setting our target even higher with ambitions to save £500,000 by 2025.

“The 483 members who have used Warp-it so far deserved a huge pat on the back, and I would encourage others to check out Warp-it before they rush to the shops to buy.”

The next steps for Warp-it include encouraging sign ups from schools and academy trusts, rolling the programme out to town councils and parish councils, inviting local charities and not-for-profit groups to join, expanding the partner list, and enrolling regional colleges and universities.

For more information visit: https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/shropshire-climate-action/resources/ and look under the ‘Recycle and Reuse’ tab.

Individuals looking for resources for private use are advised to search online for sites and apps.