Frequently Asked Questions
What is re-use it! UBC?
What are the benefits of using this website? Why should my department use it?
Is this program similar to SERF?
What can I post on this website?
Who can post a listing on this website?
What information should I include when I post a listing?
What should I do if there is no interest in the listing I posted?
Why are departmental items listed for free on this website?
I believe my items are valued over $1000. How can this item be included?
How can I get an item moved to my department?
How can I ensure moves are efficient and cost effective?
What times of year should I expect a longer wait for moving?
Who do I contact if I have a problem with my posting?
What is re-use it! UBC?
re-use it! UBC is a website designed to facilitate the reuse of low value goods between departments on campus and to minimize the number of reusable items from entering the waste stream. Have you used a classified service to get rid of items you no longer use or to look for inexpensive goods? This website is here to help UBC departments to do just that.
This website is brought to you by Payment & Procurement Services, Building Operations and the Campus Sustainability Office, in partnership with I Waste Not Systems Inc. We will pilot the website for one year to assess frequency of use, number of successful transactions recorded via this system, amount of goods diverted from landfill and user satisfaction.
What are the benefits of using this website? Why should my department use it?
Whether you are looking to get rid of an item in your department or looking to acquire an item, re-use it! UBC will save you money.
“I have an item to get rid of” – typically departments looking to get rid of goods are required to pay to move the goods to UBC’s Material Reuse Facility plus incur any tipping fees associated with disposal. Posting your reusable items on this site could save your department $$ as the acquiring department will be responsible to pay any moving costs.
“I need an item for my department”– departments looking to purchase goods may find similar quality goods on this website FOR FREE. The only cost your department will occur is labour fees associated with moving the items you want from another department.
Not to mention, helping to keep reusable goods out of the landfill simply the right thing to do. As a leader and innovator in sustainability, UBC wants to walk the talk.
Is this program similar to SERF?
Yes – except SERF was located in a physical warehouse and this website will operate as a ‘virtual warehouse’ for reusable goods on campus. UBC’s SERF (Surplus Equipment Reuse Facility) was in place from 1970 – 2006 and offered a store-front location for UBC students, staff and faculty to purchase and drop off reusable items. Due to space constraints, SERF closed operations in 2006 and since then, UBC’s moving crew has operated a word of mouth reuse system between. Officially SERF is not entirely retired, it still exists as Policy 108 Policy #108: Disposal of Surplus Equipment and Materials. Re-use it! UBC is in the spirit of the SERF warehouse and is now in place to enable departments to post items online that can be reused by other departments on campus.
What can I post on this website?
You can use this website in a couple of different ways:
- if your department has items that are no longer used but could have a second life in another department, create an ‘available’ listing to let UBC departments know you have something available;
- if your department is looking to purchase free, reused items, post a ‘wanted’ listing. You will automatically get an email when someone posts an item for sale that matches what you are looking for. Currently we are recommending that only furniture, imaging equipment and audio/visual equipment be posted on the website. In the future we hope to expand the program to include medical equipment and information technology equipment.
Who can post a listing on this website?
In 2011, this website will be marketed to UBC employees only. This pilot phase will give us time to assess the effectiveness of such a service on campus, focusing initially on one target market. If successful, we hope to expand this program to include UBC’s student population and residential community.
What information should I include when I post a listing?
Here is some key information to convey in your listing:
- Category and title of listing
- Photo of item(s) if possible (note: there is a limit of 512kb on the photo size)
- Measurements and dimensions of your Item(s) (many interested departments look for specific size configurations)
- A short description of the item and its condition
You can choose to list your phone number or email address in your posting or alternatively, you can select to hide your email.
What should I do if there is no interest in the listing I posted?
Please call your Facility Manager to arrange proper disposal. Click here to find your facility manager.
To make your posting more appealing include a picture and details about the item.
Why are departmental items listed for free on this website?
All departments items listed on this website are considered low value, and therefore should be posted for free. There are also a few benefits for posting for free:
- We want to encourage a culture of reuse on campus – keeping items free will assist us in this goal.
- The department ‘selling’ the item will have an easier time finding a department to pick it up if the item is free and the hope is that the item will be picked up in a shorter period of time.
- “Buying” departments will need to transport the goods via UBC’s Moving Crew, and pay for their time and labour. Keeping reuseable goods free of charge will act as an incentive for departments to search for goods on this website if the cost if for the good is transporting it from A to B.
- Keeping items for free will eliminate administration associated with transfers of payments between two departments.
I believe my items are valued over $1000. How can this item be included?
Please contact Allen Charuhas at Supply Management to learn more about the EIS system for high valued items.How can I get an item moved to my department?
Please call your Facility Manager to arrange moving items between departments. Click here to fill out a work order.
How can I ensure moves are efficient and cost effective?
Please contact your facility manager to request goods to be moved between your department and another. Your facility manager will put in a work request with UBC’s Moving Crew and the more details you can provide about the move, the more efficient the move. Information you should give to your FM include:
- Your name, address, room number and phone number
- If the item is not yours, please give the name, number and location of the person the FM and moving crew should contact
- A contact name, address, room number and phone number at the receiving department.
- A description of the item(s) needed to be moved
- If your building has an elevator or only stairs
You can expect the moving process to take upwards of two weeks, so make sure that the move is organized as soon as possible.
What times of year should I expect a longer wait for moving?
Snow days, exam periods (at the end of each term) and student residence move in (early September)/move out (late April) are considered ‘black out’ times for UBC’s moving crew. This means that work requests that come in around these dates may be delayed.
Who do I contact if I have a problem with my posting?
Any questions or comments regarding this website should be directed to reuse.it@ubc.ca
Any questions regarding the moving process should be directed to your facility manager.
