Waste Reduction

Paper towels inherently generate a significant amount of waste to landfills, and production, travel, distribution and warehousing contribute to high energy usage and associated emissions. Conversely, high efficiency automated hand dryers use far less energy, require virtually no maintenance or custodial intervention, and greatly reduce the amount of paper products being purchased and disposed of, ultimately resulting in greater money savings. Look for automated hand dryers in restrooms all across campus. More than four tons of paper towels are saved from entering the landfill each year since the switch to hand dryers.

Free Water! Harper College has over 50 bottle filling stations on its main campus, plus additional stations at the Learning and Career Center (LCC) and the Harper Professional Center (HPC).

718,000+ disposable plastic bottles are eliminated from the waste stream at Harper each year because of our bottle filling stations.

BYOBottle and find the nearest filling station — its free! See all bottle filling stations on the campus map.

Harper College began collecting organic material for on-site composting in 2018. Since the program’s beginning, over 2,500 pounds of compostable material have been diverted from entering the landfill

In addition, all yard waste from Harper’s campus grounds is collected and composted.

Visit recyclingsimplified.com for simple, easy to follow tips to turn you into a recycling expert!

Ever wonder how recycling is sorted at a recycling facility? Watch this video by Republic Services to find out.

Harper College upcycles the banners that once hung on campus, turning them into practical items to give away on campus, such as tote bags, luggage tags and lunch boxes. Through this upcycling initiative, Harper has prevented over 2,100 square feet of vinyl banner material from entering the landfill.