Cambridge names ‘Scott Sandberg Square’

On the corner of Brattle Street and James Street in Cambridge, just outside the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study’s Gilman Gate, is a black sign on a black pole, naming the square in honor of Radcliffe recycling pioneer Scott Sandberg.

Sandberg, who died last fall in an avalanche on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, was a building services coordinator at Radcliffe whose recycling initiatives pushed Radcliffe’s recycling rates from 25 percent to 72 percent, earning him recognition as Radcliffe’s “Recycling King” and an award from the City of Cambridge.

The square, dedicated on Saturday (May 10), is a simple testament to Sandberg’s efforts. The City Council ordered the memorial dedication at its Jan. 6 meeting. The sign contains the name “Scott F. Sandberg Square” over three words that constitute the recycling mantra: “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

– Alvin Powell