Across Harvard's many labs we are focused on minimizing the amount of waste produced.

The Green Labs Program at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Longwood Medical Area encourages safe reuse of equipment and materials that are no longer needed. 

Because of frequent personnel turnover, lab moves, and changing research needs, lab equipment is often left discarded and unused. Lab freecycles and the BioLabs Reuse Room not only offer a way for unwanted items to be salvaged, but reduces surplus equipment, supplies, and costs by promoting reuse.

Lab equipment reuse

Before donating equipment, please ensure it meets the standards set out in the Environmental Health & Safety Decontamination Form and that it is signed and attached.

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Larger and/or expensive lab equipment or anything with a Capital Equipment Sticker must be cleared before donation by contacting sciequip_admin@fas.harvard.edu. Email energy@fas.harvard.edu with any additional questions.

Longwood Medical Area

Please contact sustainability@harvard.edu if you have lab equipment you would like to donate or recycle.

Want to help promote reuse in Green Labs?

Download the poster

Contact sustainability@harvard.edu with any questions or ideas.

 

BioLabs Reuse Room

Stop by the BioLabs Reuse Room, FAS's go-to-place for reusing and recycling. Bring an item to donate or recycle, or just browse the selection.

The Reuse Room is located at BioLabs Room B087.

What items can be accepted for recycling and reuse?

  • Empty, clean Styrofoam coolers with return address labels and postage affixed (i.e. New England Biolabs, Sigma Aldrich, and other vendors with take-back programs)
  • New England Biolabs gel ice packs
  • Unwanted (but functioning) lab and office supplies
  • Small electronic waste

*Larger lab equipment, or anything with a capital equipment sticker must be cleared before donation. Please contact the Capital Equipment Program before proceeding. 

*Please ensure your equipment meets the standards set out in the Environmental Health & Safety Lab Equipment Decontamination Form before submitting to the Labs Reuse List.

MilliporeSigma water system Cartridges

Bring your used, drained cartridges to the blue barrel in the Reuse Room. The Green Labs Program has partnered with MilliporeSigma and Triumvirate Environmental, Inc. to have your used cartridges collected and turned into plastic lumber.

 

Water cartridge recycling program

In addition to the items that are listed on the RecyLABles sign, we are also piloting a water cartridge recycling program with MilliporeSigma and Triumvirate Environmental, Inc.  Cartridges can be added to hazardous waste pick-up requests or brought to the Reuse Room in Biolabs 1041 and placed in the designated blue barrel. 

Download and hang this poster next to your Lab Purification System