We at BU Sustainability want to introduce you to our newest team member, Grant Haas. For many of you, he is likely a familiar face. As a student, he served as one of our Zero Waste Interns, supporting various waste reduction programs on campus. Now, we are thrilled to welcome Grant back in a new role: our first-ever Zero Waste Fellow. Over the next year, he will be working to help advance campus zero waste programming. Hear from Grant on what he will be doing for us over the next year and what he is most excited about working on.
What is your role with BU Sustainability, and how are you supporting the zero waste goals of the university?
I help manage and direct both regular Zero Waste operations and events across the university, including the Shred + Recycle Events, Goodwill, not Landfill, and waste reduction programs with campus partners. I also help advance the University’s Zero Waste Plan, which aims to have 90% or more of the items that would go to landfill or incineration be recycled, reused, or removed from the waste stream in some way.
Why are you passionate about zero waste, and what spurred your interest in this topic?
The reality is that almost everything needs to be tossed out in one way or another, but we can find a new life by repairing, reusing, recycling, or composting instead. Waste can be better thought of as a resource, not only keeping our water, air, and land clean, but also allowing us to better use what we already have. My interest in waste started when I attended Temple University, where I joined and then led the Cleanup Club. This club held weekly community service events where we visited nearby neighborhoods to help clean up litter. After I transferred to BU, I joined the BU Sustainability team as a GOAT in the Goodwill, not Landfill program and then as a Zero-Waste Intern.
What were your favorite parts of being an intern with BU Sustainability?
My favorite part of being an intern with BU Sustainability was getting to know different departments across the university. Getting an insight into university operations allowed me to quickly become familiar with and appreciate the school, which I was still new to at the time. I also greatly enjoyed getting to know the incredible team at BU Sustainability. Additionally, I enjoyed learning a great deal about waste infrastructure – both in Massachusetts, New England, and around the world.
What are you most excited about being the Zero Waste Fellow?
I am most excited to lead some of the zero waste efforts and events I have supported at BU during my time as a student. I am particularly excited about gaining more hands-on experience working with Facilities Management and helping to execute impactful sustainability programming at a large institution such as BU.
From this fellowship, what do you hope to gain and come away with?
I hope to gain hands-on professional experience in the waste management and recycling industries, deepening my understanding of the systems, challenges, and innovations that shape the broader waste economy. I’m especially interested in learning how to design and lead effective large-scale waste reduction operations through programs like Goodwill, not Landfill, connecting sustainability with community impact. I also aim to strengthen my skills in public engagement and environmental communication. I want to become more effective at helping friends, family, and the broader public rethink their relationship with waste and understand the importance of creating a circular economy. By the end of the fellowship, I hope to come away with technical and strategic knowledge about leading waste diversion efforts, as well as meaningful connections with professionals and mentors in the recycling and sustainability field.