1. What do I do with bottle caps?
Before tossing your bottle into the recycling bin, be sure to remove the cap, then put both into the bin. Removal of the cap allows for evaporation and prevents retention of residual liquid. Extra liquid causes a number of problems: it adds weight, which adds to the energy (and fossil fuel emissions) necessary to transport the recyclables; it creates a mess and causes injuries in the recycling plant.

2. Can I recycle envelopes with the plastic windows? What about staples? And spiral notebooks? Glossy advertisements? Post-its?
You'll like the answer to this one; all of these items are fine to toss into the "Paper" recycling bin. In the recycling process, all paper, even the glossy, is converted to pulp, and all non-natural fibers such as metal will be strained out. So don't waste your time removing staples, spiral bindings, or plastic windows!

3. Can I recycle paper with tape on it?
It's OK to leave tape on paper; however, it does gum up machines and reduce the efficiency of recycling. Try to remove obvious tape from papers and posters before recycling...but again, don't waste your time scraping tape off of paper!

4. Why can't I recycle pizza boxes?
The actual cardboard of the pizza boxes is recyclable; it is the food residue that is almost sure to have seeped into the cardboard that the recycling company doesn't want. When recycling collectors see a food-soaked item in a cardboard recycling bin, they may assume that the entire bin is "contaminated;" they can't take the time to sort out the good and the bad cardboard. We have to provide them with clean, ready-to-recycle products!

5. Can I recycle any plastic that has a recycling sign and number on it?
Cambridge now recycles every type of plastic – numbers one through seven. If the plastic has a recycling symbol on it, you can throw it in the recycle bin, regardless of the number. Solo® cups are now recyclable, too!

6. Do I have to separate glass, plastic, and aluminum?
No. You can put anything that you call a bottle or can into the same "Bottles and Cans" recycling bin. We are so clever with those names...

7. Do I have to worry about labels?
No. You can leave labels on bottles and cans!

8. What if I don't have a recycling bin?
Most importantly, you don't need a "recycling" bin to recycle. Any container will work -- a small trash can, a box, a paper bag for paper -- be creative! However, each suite should be already be outfitted with recycle bins. If your room doesn’t have bins, just let your REP know. To find your REP, visit the Resource Efficiency Program web site at http://www.greencampus.harvard.edu/rep/.

9. How important is it that I prepare recyclables correctly? Doesn't this take a really long time?
It is extremely important to prepare items correctly before placing them in recycling bins. This means:
* Flatten boxes. If you don't, they will probably be thrown away.
* Clean out obvious food residue from plastics (such as a yogurt container). You do not have to rinse out drink bottles; sugary soda residue is acceptable!
* Remove bottle caps (so that residue can evaporate and not add weight and mess).
Custodians cannot always take the time to separate dirty containers, remove pizza boxes, or flatten other boxes. Please take a few extra seconds and move any items inappropriately placed in the recycling bin to the trash - this will earn you major points from the recycling fairy!

10. How does recycling help me as a Harvard student?
There are a number of benefits you receive:
* The University saves money. This can translate into more money for student needs, such as space, housing improvements, etc. Harvard pays $87 per ton to have its waste hauled to a landfill in South Carolina, but receives up to $55 per ton for recyclables.
* Recycling is part of the Green Cup competition! The house that has improved the most on recycling, energy use, and has the most “eco-projects” receives a cash prize. In 2006, the winning house received $1,037.
* School pride: Harvard enters a national EPA recycling competition called Recyclemania. Out of 45 schools, Harvard placed 20th in overall recycling with a 27% recycling rate. Students at the winning school, Cal State San Marcos, recycled on average over half of their trash.
* Most importantly, you're forming habits that will benefit you in the future. Municipalities are increasingly using financial incentives for recycling. For example, residents of Philadelphia earn gift certificates when they recycle in a program called Recyclebank (http://www.recyclebank.com/).

11. Is recycling required by law in Cambridge/Massachusetts?
Funny you should ask. As a matter of fact, it is. Check out this excerpt from Harvard's Handbook for Students:
"Recycling is mandatory in Cambridge. Students must bring all trash and recyclables to the designated area in each House or dormitory. Materials should be sorted into trash, mixed paper, and commingled container receptacles."

12. New York City isn't recycling anymore; why do I have to?
In 2002, New York City temporary stopped recycling glass and plastics. Although attempting to make budget cuts, the city soon realized that ending recycling programs would not save the city money. The city once again resumed bottle and can recycling on April 1, 2004. Not only is recycling good for the environment, but as New York City realized, it also usually saves money, too!

13. Can I recycle batteries? Why should I?
You should recycle batteries because they contain toxic chemicals; if placed in a landfill, they could contaminate groundwater and soil. You can absolutely recycle them here. There should be a battery receptacle in each Super's office and in Yard recycling rooms. If you're not sure where to find a receptacle, speak to your REP.

14. Should I buy rechargeable batteries?
Rechargeables contain even more toxic materials (heavy metals) than standard batteries, so if you use them, make 100% sure you dispose of them properly- not in the trash. Rechargeable batteries you use from day to day like those in your cell phone or laptop, as well as rechargeable appliances like phones and Dustbusters should not be thrown in the trash. Recycle them!

15. What do I do with plastic bags?
There is no universal system for plastic bag recycling; that's why you should really make an effort to prevent the production and use of bags by carrying a re-usable bag or backpack. However, with those bags you do have, try to reuse them. They make great small trash can liners! If your bags are grocery bags from a store with a bag recycling program, you can take them back to the store from which they came. It differs store to store, but most grocery stores sell their used bags to be made into plastic lumber (the company is called Trex), which is made from the plastic and sawdust. Plastic bags can not be recycled with cans and bottles as they are difficult to handle in transport and jam conveyor belts.

16. What happens to furniture and other stuff I leave in my room at the end of the year?
If you bring your furniture to your House’s donation station during end of year move-out, those items will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. In September, Harvard Habitat organizes the sale of these items and each year makes thousands of dollars while greatly reducing unnecessary waste! You can donate your electrical items and clothes as well. The Harvard recycling office will sell the used clothes to The Garment District and will either sell or recycle the electrical items.

17. What should I do with my laundry detergent bottle?
Recycle it! Just take the cap off!

18. How can I compost on campus?
Food waste left on dining hall trays is sent to a compost facility. Thus leaving organic waste on your tray will, most likely, mean it is composted!

19. How can I get rid of junk mail once and for all?
Call 1 888 5 OPT OUT to stop credit card offers.
For unwanted contribution pleas and catalogues, make a few simple phone calls or emails and ask to be taken off of mailing lists. To limit your exposure, write "Please do not rent or sell my name" or "No mailing lists" next to your name whenever you order products by mail, enter a contest, subscribe to a magazine, send in a warranty card, or otherwise give your name and address to a company or organization. (Also consider not sending in the warranty card for a new product - it's usually not required.)

One effective way to remove your name from national mailing lists is to write the Direct Marketing Association and register with their Mail Preference Service - an indication that you do not want to be contacted by solicitors. In a letter or 3 1/2 x 5" postcard, include the date, your name, address and signature, and write "Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service." (The term "Mail Preference Service" may sound confusing, but rest assured, registration with MPS is what you do to get off of the mailing lists.) This actually works. Marketers do not want to waste their efforts on people who have explicitly stated they are not interested. Mail to:

Mail Preference Service, Attn: Dept: 6386627
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 282
Carmel, NY 10512

20. What can I do with packing peanuts?
Call the Peanut Hotline (Yes, there is a peanut hotline) at 1-800-828-2214 for a list of area businesses such as Mailboxes Etc. which accept plastic loose fill or packaging peanuts for reuse.

21. What should I do with my old cell phone (I know I shouldn't just throw it away)?
There are a variety of charities that not only safely dispose of old phones, but actually put them to very good use. Go to www.collectivegood.com to decide where to send your phone! If you give it to your superintendent, it will go to Harvard's electronics salvage program.

22. Can I recycle my computer/printer at Harvard?
Yes! First see if the manufacturer or store from which you purchased your equipment participates in take-back or trade-in programs. If not, you can call 5-3042, arrange for pick-up, and box or set out neatly the computer and other components you wish to recycle. Harvard makes sure that recycled computers are not sent overseas where disposal regulations are not as strict, but rather are taken apart and disposed of responsibly. See www.greencampus.harvard.edu/CERP for more information.

23. Where do Harvard's recyclables and trash go?
Harvard's trash is transported all the way to South Carolina...which uses quite a fair bit of fossil fuel, as you can imagine! Recycling, however, goes to nearby Charlestown, where it is processed to be reused. Thus in addition to saving the energy used to create new material from fossil fuels, at Harvard, recycling also saves transportation emissions!

24. How do I buy recycled?
The key to buying recycled products is reading labels. You must look for the trademark arrows of the recycling symbol, but that doesn't always mean the product is made from recycled material; it may simply mean the product is technically recyclable (sometimes, only if the product is returned in perfect condition to the manufacturer!). What you really must check is the ingredient list: you want to see the percent of post-consumer content. Many paper products promote themselves as recycled, but come from industrial surplus (called pre-consumer) that would be recycled anyway. Post-consumer means that another person has already used the material and it is being recycled to you. So that you can use and then recycle it, of course!

25. What is the process of recycling like?
There are three basic steps in the life of your recyclables: manufacturing, consumption and recovery. All three must occur before recycling is complete. Buy efficiently and buy recycled! Recovery occurs when recyclables are separated from discards; putting paper into a recycling bin is the first step in this process.
--At Materials Recovery Facilities, recyclables are sorted in preparation for processing. Magnets and air are used to divide up metals and light items. Employees separate out other items (so be kind and rinse your food containers). Mechanical sorters that use optics to identify different kinds of paper and puffs of air to sort it are also now being developed. This entire separation step may seem inefficient, but transportation and collection can be more efficient when separation is postponed; it's also easier to get people to recycle when they can throw everything together.
--At Processing Plants, sorted items are converted into usable material. Plastics get shredded. Different types have different specific gravities, so they will float/sink to different degrees and can then be separated. Paper is soaked in water. In the recycling process, plastic envelope bits float up and magnets remove staples. A large chain is rotated in the vat of paper goo, and tape remnants adhere to the chain for removal.

26. Does stuff put in recycling bins get thrown away?
Unfortunately, sometimes it does if it is contaminated. Even a tiny piece of food can send an entire bin of recycling to the dump. In addition, the international commodities markets do fluctuate, sometimes making simple dumping less costly than recycling. This is rare, however, and if you buy recycled, the demand for the recyclables will increase. You're not really recycling unless you buy recycled products!

27. What are the top three simple steps I can take to reduce land filled waste and improve recycling at Harvard?
--Reuse and recycle your paper. Currently, almost as much paper is thrown away at Harvard as is recovered for recycling.
--Don't buy things you don't really need and buy in bulk to reduce packaging. Per day, the average Harvardian (student, staff & faculty average) generates about 1.58 lbs of trash and .79 lbs of recyclables. Think about carrying that around for a day!
--Recycle all year round, not just at the end of the semester.

Recycling the following materials saves the stated quantities of energy:

Aluminum cans: 185 million btu/ton
LDPE: 24.1 million btu/ton
PET: 22.2 million btu/ton
Mixed plastics: 20.5 million btu/ton
Steel cans: 20 million btu/ton
HDPE: 19 million btu/ton
Newspapers: 16.5 million btu/ton
Corrugated containers: 13 million btu/ton
Office paper: 10.1 million btu/ton
Mixed paper: 6.7 million btu/ton
Glass bottles: 2.1 million btu/ton

*Note: There are 5.8 million British thermal units (Btu) in a barrel of oil and 0.125 million Btu in a gallon of gasoline.