Students Trash Harvard’s Waste

Sifting through used diapers, Christmas lights and shredded documents in front of the Science Center yesterday, Resource Efficiency Program (REP) participants got down and dirty in the sixth annual Waste Audit.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. yesterday, representatives from REP divided random samples of garbage from upperclass Houses and Yard dormitories, calculating the amount of waste produced in a day and the percentage of this waste which could have been recycled.

The total weight of the garbage sample this year reached 540 pounds, 43 percent of which was found to be recyclable.

“We want to raise students’ awareness of their ecological footprint and show them how resource efficiency can lead to both environmental and economic benefits,” REP Captain Esther Y. Tian ’07 said.

According to Tian, Harvard spends $82 to remove one ton of waste, whereas it spends only $25 to recycle one ton of cans and bottles and receives $25 for recycling one ton of paper.

“The waste dump is actually in South Carolina, so we also waste fossil fuels in transporting the garbage since the recycling plant is only three miles away,” Tian said.

The waste audit, conducted during “America Recycles” week, is one of REP’s most visible efforts.

But according to Rob Grogan, manager of Harvard Recycling and Waste Management, the program also saved the College $120,000 last year through water and energy conservation campaigns as well as waste reduction efforts.

The results of the waste audit will be used to construct “Mt. Trashmore” in front of the Science Center today, displaying the amount of trash produced by Yard dormitories in an average day. There will be a demarcation on the mountain representing the 43 percent that could have been recycled.

“We want to make recycling comfortable and convenient for students after they visually see what can be saved through efficient resource use,” Grogan said, citing the program’s efforts to place recycling bins in student rooms.

According to Grogan, the College saw a 26 percent reduction in trash last year and a proportional increase in recycling.

And Grogan noted that Harvard’s rivalry with Yale extends beyond the football field.

Harvard has accepted an environmental challenge from Yale, competing to see whether the Bulldogs can match Harvard in terms of pounds of paper, cardboard and cans recycled per student.

REP representatives, working hard to convince Harvard students to recycle, also stressed the importance of other ways to protect the environment—and personal privacy. After a group screening of an erotic home video found in the trash, REP Kerry K. Shaughnessy ’05 hailed the merits of reuse.

“They should have taped over it,” she said.