Reuse Room

The Reuse Room is located at HSPH Building 1 basement, room B-5, and is open on Wednesdays 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, unless otherwise noted below. We are closed during university holidays.

Please note: The Reuse Room will not be open on October 1, 2025 because we will be upstairs in the Kresge Atrium next to the cafe, holding a Freecycle event, 11 am -1 pm. Come visit us there instead!

The Reuse Room accepts small office supplies, home goods, and lab equipment that can be reused by students, faculty, and staff. Inventory changes frequently. Bring your donations (see guidelines below) and pick up items for free. No donation is required to shop.

Current offerings include:

Office/household supplies: 3-ring binders, hanging file folders, file folders, 3-hole punches, paper and binder clips, magazine holders, paper organizing trays and racks, padded mailers, envelopes, labels, metal bookends, name badges, inserts, and holders, legal-size paper, staplers, staples, staple removers, markers/pens/pencils, tape dispensers, plexiglass display stands, computer speakers, vases, small tubes of lotion, decorative items

Lab items: small Styrofoam coolers, autoclave bags, lab stool, glassware, freezer shelves

Directions: If you enter the Kresge Building through the revolving door or automatic door near Sebastian’s Café, go past the elevators on your left, which are currently under construction. Looking ahead of you, you will see a hallway that starts with the gender inclusive restrooms. Go down that hallway, away from the cafe, until you reach the stairs at the end. (You are now in Building 1.) You can either take those stairs down to the basement or make a right just before the stairs and go to the double elevators. Take the elevator down to B for basement. At the bottom of the stairs or when you get off the elevator, you will walk down the long hallway toward the loading dock and mail room. But do not take a left to the loading dock and mail room when you see the double glass doors on your left. Instead, continue straight and B-5 will be your first door on the left after that. There are signs to help guide you along the way.

Rules

  • Please donate items during opening hours only. Do not leave items outside of door when room is not open.
  • No large or heavy items (including furniture) are accepted.
  • No broken or soiled items are accepted.
  • Do not bring donations in biohazardous waste boxes or bags.
  • Lab equipment donations:
    • Must be decontaminated and have an EH&S decontamination form attached.
    • Glassware must be cleaned and autoclaved before drop-off.
    • No chemicals or perishables allowed.
    • No needles allowed.
  • Prior to donating any expensive equipment or anything with a Capital Equipment Sticker, please contact your department finance director to confirm if the equipment can be donated and next steps.
  • Harvard-issued electronics must be returned to IT.

Questions? Email susan_bottino@harvard.edu