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Join REP’s 2024 Waste Campaign: Sort Like a Pro with the Waste Wizard

Resource Efficiency Program (REP)

The REP Waste Campaign runs from: October 7-27, 2024.

Harvard Recycling launched a new tool — the Waste Wizard!  

Sorting waste can be tricky!

 

Next time you don’t how to properly dispose of your items, look it up in the Waste Wizard — a database that tells you how to sort waste on-campus.

Visit the Waste Wizard

Being responsible with your waste is a journey —join the adventure with us!

REP student sustainability advocates in your House or Dorm will be hosting tabling events to engage with you on Waste and answer questions!  They will provide information on where waste and reuse resources are in your residence. Don’t forget to play the in-person waste sorting game with them to earn Green Cup points for our yearly competition!

Can’t make your REP’s event? Take our quiz on those pesky common contaminants and show our waste team what Harvard students know!

*For best visibility on mobile, turn your phone horizontally.

Click to see the answer key here!

For more information on why items are categorized this way: RecycleSmart MA has amazing FAQ’s and Resources.


Featured Resources

Get familiar with all that Harvard Recycling is doing to address our waste on campus!

 

Free Stuff at the Surplus Center

Visit the surplus center to pick up reused items from around campus for free! Weekly Open Hours In Allston for Harvard Affiliates (Mon & Thurs 10am-1pm)

 

 

FreeCycle or FixIt Clinic

Harvard Recycling hosts FreeCycles — events to donate and shop free reused items. No donation required to shop!

 

Also check out FixIt Clinics — where skilled folks help repair items and keep them out of landfills!

 

Sign up for the Havard Recycling Newsletter to be notified of upcoming events!

 

 

Harvard sustainability staff stand next to a poster that says "Earth Day Freecycle."

Waste Management Hierarchy

Let’s work together to prevent waste in the first place!

Graphic that prioritizes waste hierarchy: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Rot, Recycle.
When making decisions about managing our waste, prioritize Rethinking and Reducing waste, recycling and composting is a last resort. Source: https://recyclesmartma.org/2023/09/reframing-the-waste-hierarchy/

Learn with REP!

Explore our Linktree: /HarvardREP for a wealth of valuable resources and dive into our ongoing campaigns.

Discover REP campaigns and campus-wide sustainability resources!Opens new window

Students watch a presentation at the 2022 Resource Efficiency Program orientation.

featured

Zero Waste

At Harvard, we aim to sustainably manage all waste streams—including plastics, recyclables, and organics, as well as construction, demolition, and hazardous waste—while prioritizing waste prevention and reduction.

Learn More
Compost sign with symbols and text for food, compostable containers, and other items.

Sustainability at Harvard

Explore Upcoming Events

October

14

Wednesday
11:00 am-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Community Freecycle

Join us at our community Freecycle in the Smith Campus Center!

Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse an excellent selection of items brought by others. Popular items include books, clothes, and household goods. Only donate items in clean and working condition.

Everyone is welcome, and no donation is necessary to shop!

September

09

Wednesday
11:00 am-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Community Freecycle

Join us at our community Freecycle in the Smith Campus Center!

Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse an excellent selection of items brought by others. Popular items include books, clothes, and household goods. Only donate items in clean and working condition.

Everyone is welcome, and no donation is necessary to shop!

November

20

Friday
1:00 pm-4:30 pm GMT+0000

Salata Institute Climate and Sustainability Career Expo

Are you a Harvard or MIT student or alumni interested in a career in climate and sustainability? Or an employer interested in reaching Harvard University and MIT students with career opportunities? The Salata Institute Climate and Sustainability Career Expo is a collaborative effort across Harvard schools and MIT to connect organizations focused on climate, sustainability, and the environment with Harvard undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni. Join us for the next expo on Friday, November 20, 2026 from 1:00 – 4:30pm.

September

09

Wednesday
5:00 pm-6:00 pm GMT+0000

Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL) Info Session

INFO SESSION (required to apply for CSSL program): Please RSVP by September 8 to attend the CSSL Info Session on September 9 @ 5-6pm. If you cannot attend, you must watch the recording (which will be posted here on September 10) before applying.

November

17

Tuesday
2:00 pm-3:00 pm GMT+0000

Sustainability Spotlight: Geothermal Heating at Weld Hill

Did you know that the Weld Hill Research Building at the Arboretum has the largest geothermal heating system at Harvard? There are 88 wells hidden under the namesake hill which help heat and cool the state-of-the-art research building. Join Head of Operations and Project Management Danny Schissler for a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating system.

This tour will be a mix of indoors and outdoors.

September

16

Wednesday
12:30 pm-1:30 pm GMT+0000

Sustainability Spotlight: Irrigation

As climate change leads to increased temperatures and extreme weather patterns, drought is becoming more and more of a concern at the Arboretum. Staff have been working hard to install irrigation systems around the landscape since the record-breaking drought of 2016, working to increase the resiliency of our collections to periods of drought and dry weather, and this fall represents one of the biggest irrigation projects yet. Join Head of Operations and Project Management Danny Schissler and Head Operator Jed Romanowiz to learn how the Arboretum keeps trees watered in areas without irrigation, the Arboretum’s plans for new irrigation installations, and how all of these systems actually work.