Join the REP Waste Campaign: Get Recycling Savvy and Play Our Sorting Game

The REP Waste Campaign runs from: October 16-29, 2023.

Sorting like a pro is a journey—join the adventure with us!

Ready to boost your recycling IQ, or are you feeling like a waste whiz already? 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.

Waste Regulations

Ever wondered if we’re being eco-outlaws by accident? Cambridge and Massachusetts have regulations about what belongs in the recycling bin, and what is banned from the trash.

No worries, we all make mistakes and we’re on this journey together to stay on the green side of the law!

The City of Cambridge:

“Recycling is mandatory in Cambridge; items on the curbside recycling list are banned from disposal as trash in Massachusetts.”

Massachusetts Waste Ban Items:

• Recyclable Paper – ALL paper, cardboard, and paperboard products (does NOT include tissues, paper towels, plates, or cups)
• Glass bottles and jars
• Metal beverage and food containers
• Plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs
• Textiles – clothing, footwear, linens
• Food waste from institutions that generate more than ½ ton per week
• Leaves and yard waste
• Scrap metal – such as appliances
• Mattresses
• CRTs – cathode ray tubes
• Gypsum wallboard
• Lead Acid batteries
• Whole tires
• Wood waste
• Asphalt pavement, Brick, Concrete

Waste Management Hierarchy

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

Waste Signage Scavenger Hunt

Calling all waste signage sleuths! Use your keen eye by participating in our Waste Signage Scavenger Hunt. Help us locate old, outdated signs in need of a modern makeover!

 

All are welcome to participate; simply snap a picture and upload it to our quick google form. Undergraduates who submit a form will earn points towards the Green Cup Competition for their House or Dorm!

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

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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

Sustainability at Harvard

Explore Upcoming Events

June

10

Multi-day Event

Open to Harvard Community

Harvard Climate Action Week | 2024

Climate

Climate Action Week

Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

Harvard Climate Action Week invites climate experts, leaders, and stakeholders to come together and explore solutions to the most complex and challenging dimensions of the climate crisis. Events, in-person and online, dive deep into the policies, private actions, and leadership needed to drive further reductions in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This week of events is hosted by the Climate Action Accelerator at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University.

May

21

Multi-day Event

Open to the Public

Harvard University Commencement Week

commencement

Explore the Harvard University Commencement Week Schedule. The College and each graduate/professional school hosts additional events unique to their community.

May

16

Thursday
5:30 pm-8:30 pm GMT+0000

Open to the Public

Planetary Boundaries Fresco

Join us for the fun, interactive climate and ecosystems game-workshop “Planetary Boundaries Fresco”, based on the science of the Stockholm Resilience Center’s Planetary Boundaries, and played for the first time at Harvard. The Planetary Boundaries Fresco is a collaborative game-workshop centered on collective intelligence, similar in format to the Climate Fresk.

May

16

Thursday
1:00 pm-3:00 pm GMT+0000

Open to the Public

Mobility Collage

Join us for the fun, interactive climate workshop “Mobility Collage”, based on the science of the IPCC, ADEME, and played for the first time at Harvard. The Mobility Collage is a collaborative game-workshop centered on collective intelligence, similar in format to the Climate Fresk.