Accelerating a zero-waste future
Zero Waste
A zero-waste future requires a systemic approach. At Harvard, we aim to sustainably manage all waste streams—including plastics, electronics, recyclables, and organics, as well as construction, demolition, and hazardous waste—while prioritizing waste prevention and reduction.
Framework for Waste Stewardship
Zero Waste Future
In 2025, Harvard launched “Accelerating a Zero Waste Future: A Framework for Waste Stewardship,” a new plan to transition our campuses to zero waste. Developed by the Waste Stewardship Steering Committee in collaboration with University leaders, the framework prioritizes waste prevention, reduction, reuse, and responsible recovery, and aligns with Harvard’s Sustainability Action Plan.
Explore upcoming Zero Waste events:
Events
Calendar of Events
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Building on the success of the long-running Farmers’ Market, join us for the exciting “Plaza Open Market” this summer and fall featuring the farm-fresh vendors you know and love, treats to eat at the Plaza or take home, and monthly neighborhood and campus partners pop-up promotions, performances, and showcases. |
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Apply to the Harvard Climate Entrepreneurs Circle, a selective accelerator for high-potential climate ventures led by a Harvard affiliate, by June 24, 2026. Applicants must be enrolled in a Harvard degree-granting program or have Harvard alumni or faculty or staff status, which is confirmed before acceptance letters are sent. The Climate Circle is open to both for-profit and nonprofit ventures with committed founders, clear traction, and growing momentum. Climate Circle ventures span the globe: from Indonesia to Uganda, South Africa to the Midwestern U.S., Austria to Boston. Apply now!
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Informal gathering to chat about books we’ve enjoyed and build a sustainable community through reuse. Bring books to share. (All types of books: fiction, nonfiction, memoir, how-to, etc.). Don’t have any extra books? Bring some book recommendations. There will be extra books. Invite a friend! HU I.D. required for building entry.
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Free In-Person Book Presentation Speaker: What happens when we truly pay attention to the natural world? Join us for a talk by naturalist Thomas Fleischner on his new book, Astonished by Beauty (Torrey House Press, 2026), a thoughtful and practical guide to reconnecting with nature through natural history. With a series of brief, intimate stories from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon, Fleischner reveals how we may easily deepen our connection with the land and its creatures. Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture this meaningful bond, Fleischner’s book is part reflection, part guide, calling for a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us. Copies of Astonished by Beauty will be available for purchase after the program. Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 5:00 pm. |
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How is Harvard reducing waste?
Harvard is taking a systemic approach to waste prevention and reduction, aiming to ensure the materials that the University purchases and handles are used effectively and for as long as possible. Harvard is also strategically preventing waste throughout our value chain, while minimizing on-campus municipal solid waste (or trash) and sustainably managing other waste streams.
We are focused on piloting solutions on campus to reduce waste. The Waste Stewardship Committee is developing guidance and resources to help Schools and Business Units create their own zero-waste plans and goals.
Harvard will continue to measure and report data annually for Harvard’s major waste streams and aims to develop a strategic zero-waste plan by the end of 2024.
Harvard Recycling & Waste Management
The primary campus waste hauler office at Harvard manages all waste streams across Harvard’s Cambridge, Allston, and Longwood campuses. Explore their resources:
More Resources from Harvard Recycling & Waste ManagementOpens new window
Piloting Solutions
A Zero-Waste Future
New life for Harvard’s compost
Compostable materials collected on Harvard’s campus are used to produce energy.
How We Operate
Harvard is accelerating new systems that enable healthier, low-carbon living—creating systems that can be scaled and adopted more broadly.
