Clarissa Tan

For years, Yale has focused on improving its recycling systems, investing in strong infrastructure for sorting and diverting waste. Despite these efforts, sustainability experts, student leaders and advocates have raised concerns that continued contamination and a lack of student awareness have hindered the program’s effectiveness. 

The Office of Sustainability has been at the forefront of Yale’s recycling initiatives. Lindsay Crum ENV ’15, associate director of the office, explained that the University recycling is collected by custodial staff and transported to a state-of-the-art material recovery facility in Berlin, Connecticut. There, technology sorts recyclables, but contamination often causes recyclable material to be discarded as trash.

“We’ve been working to reduce contamination, but we need the whole Yale community to be more mindful of what goes in the recycling bins,” Crum wrote. “Items like plastic bags, greasy pizza boxes, and food-contaminated recyclables are some of the main offenders.”

Efforts to educate the student body about these issues include the introduction of new signage across campus and a video series on Instagram that explains common contamination issues. However, students and sustainability advocates recognize that more is needed.

Carrie Lange ’27, sustainability policy director of the Yale College Council, emphasized that while students are generally aware of Yale’s commitment to sustainability, there is a disconnect when it comes to specific goals and actions.

“There’s a surface-level understanding, but many students don’t know exactly how to recycle properly,” Lange wrote in an email to the news. “Our goal is to make recycling practices clearer and to increase the availability of recycling bins, especially in residential colleges.”

Yale’s recycling rate was 34 percent in 2024, short of the target goal of 60 percent, highlighting the gap between Yale’s intentions and implementation. As Lange pointed out, residential colleges have varying systems, with some lacking sufficient space or clear signage for recycling.

In response, the Yale College Council has partnered with Yale Facilities to advocate for improvements, working toward more uniform and effective waste disposal systems across campus. According to the Fall 2024 survey, 52 percent of students felt there was not enough information available to guide them on how to recycle, signaling the need for more accessible educational resources.

Esperance Han ’28, a student passionate about sustainability, shared that while Yale’s program is excellent, food contamination and plastic bags remain significant barriers to effective recycling, and students must be more diligent in ensuring their recyclables are free of contamination.

“Yale’s recycling process is trustworthy, but it’s up to us to make sure we’re not contributing to the problem,” Han stated. “Contamination, especially from food waste and plastic bags, is the main issue.”

The Office of Sustainability is located at 70 Whitney Ave.