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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

April

22

Wednesday
4:30 pm-5:30 pm GMT+0000

Food Literacy Project Speaker Series: Waste, Recycling, and Compost at Harvard – “Talking Trash” with Dailey Brannin & Courtney Forrester

Sign up: https://bit.ly/FLPEvents

Do you know what happens to our recyclables after they leave campus? What about waste, or food composted in the dining halls? Courtney Forrester, Harvard Waste Reduction and Compliance Lead, and Dailey Brannin, Harvard Recycling Services Supervisor, will break it all down during this presentation. Learn about waste stewardship at Harvard, and how to get involved to various waste reduction initiatives!

This event is free and open to all HUID holders, but registration is encouraged, as seating is limited.

April

08

Wednesday
5:00 pm-7:00 pm GMT+0000

Arctic Film Festival (RSVP Required)

In celebration of Earth Day, join the Belfer Center’s Arctic Initiative for an evening of science, nature, and adventure from the Far North.

We will screen the following short films:

Nuisance Bear – Canada
A Season Living in the Ice – Canada/Greenland
Haul Out – Russia
Arctic Youth Expedition – Norway
Izembek – Alaska
Teshekpuk – Alaska

Open to all Harvard ID holders. Please RSVP.

April

07

Tuesday
11:30 am-1:30 pm GMT+0000

Open to Harvard Community

The Michigan Futures Initiative: A Climate Solutions Accelerator at the University of Michigan

In the speaker series Climate Action Clinic: Where Research meets Practice, we spotlight lessons learned from efforts to link knowledge and action in order to develop and advance durable, effective solutions to the climate change and sustainability challenges confronting humanity.

In this discussion, the University of Michigan’s Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action Shalanda Baker presents an overview of the Michigan Futures Initiative, a framework designed to accelerate research impacts and respond to urgent climate and sustainability issues focusing on: law and policy for equitable climate and energy policy; education innovation for the next generation of climate leaders; economic impact and workforce development fora sustainable economy; industrial transformation; and systems change tackling the interconnected challenges of water, food, and energy systems.

Lunch will be served from 11:30 – 12:00 pm.

April

29

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

Open to Harvard Community

Spring Freecycle on Longwood Campus

freecycle
Zero Waste

Come to the always-popular Freecycle in Kresge Atrium next to Sebastian’s Cafe on Wednesday, April 29, 11 am-2 pm! Bring extra housewares, clothes and shoes, accessories, books, school and office supplies, or other small re-useable items in good condition. Pick up something new-to-you, make friends, and build a sustainability-minded community.

April

22

Wednesday
12:00 pm-2:00 pm GMT+0000

Earth Day Freecycle

Join us for a Freecycle at the Earth Day Festival! Drop off reusable goods you no longer need, and browse a fantastic selection of items brought by others. Find some secondhand items to gift this year. Popular items include books, clothes, and working household goods.

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

April

15

Wednesday
12:00 pm-3:00 pm GMT+0000

Open to Harvard Community

Fixit Clinic

Have you been holding onto a broken item in the hopes of repairing it? (Or perhaps found a nearly-working item at a Freecycle?) If so, come to our Fixit Clinic at the Cabot Science Library! With help, you’ll disassemble your item, troubleshoot the issue, and (hopefully) repair it! Register your broken item ahead of time here.

Don’t have anything to fix but have some fixing expertise to share? Sign up to be a coach here!

Hosted by Harvard Libraries and Harvard Recycling & Waste. Contact dailey_brannin@harvard.edu with questions.

April

18

Saturday
1:00 pm-4:00 pm GMT+0000

Cherry Blossom Celebration at the Arnold Arboretum

Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.