Sustainability at Yale

Yale Sustainable Food Project

The Yale Sustainable Food Project manages an organic farm on campus and runs diverse programs that support exploration and academic inquiry related to food and agriculture. The program was established in 2003 based on student enthusiasm and support, with guidance from Alice Waters, owner of the world-famous restaurant Chez Panisse, and President Levin. The Sustainable Food Project oversaw the sustainable dining hall pilot project in 2003 and maintains a strong collaborative relationship with Yale Dining. By creating opportunities for students to experience food, agriculture, and sustainability as integral parts of their education and everyday life, the Sustainable Food Project ensures that Yale graduates have the capacity to effect meaningful change as individuals and as leaders in their communities, their homes, and their life’s work.

For more information, please visit the Yale Sustainable Food Poject website.

Sustainable Buildings

Yale’s 300 year-old campus is home to a growing collection of innovative green buildings and laboratories. Campus buildings are designed and built with a particular sensitivity toward their surroundings and purpose. Yale's urban location plays an important role in all aspects of the design and building process, including site and positioning, construction materials and methods, and building features. Since the completion of its first LEED-certified structure,Yale has mandated that all new construction will achieve at least a LEED Gold rating. Pioneering projects include the Chemistry Research Building, the first lab in the world to achieve LEED standards, and Kroon Hall, the technologically advanced ultra-efficient home of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, which was built to LEED Platinum standards.

More on Sustainable Buildings at Yale.

Waste Management

Yale produces over 4,000 short tons of solid waste annually – about the same as 345 fully-loaded garbage trucks. The University strives to reduce the amount of material it discards as waste through source reduction, recycling, and repurposing. At present, mixed paper, cans, bottles, electronics, cardboard, and yard wastes are recycled, and office furniture and supplies are repurposed through a University Surplus program. In addition, Yale runs an annual “spring salvage” which offers students moving out of their rooms the option to donate unwanted items, from clothing and furniture to school supplies and sporting equipment, for re-use. In 2010, this resulted in 46 short tons of goods – about the same weight as 8 fully-grown elephants – going to community groups rather than the dumpster. These combined efforts reduce Yale’s solid waste stream by approximately 26%.

More on recyling at Yale

Green Purchasing

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing not only makes Yale a more sustainable campus but reaches beyond the university to begin greening the supply chain. The Yale Procurement Office has developed sustainable purchasing standards to encourage employees to make conscientious choices on everything from printer paper to office furniture. 

Sustainable Procurement Standards Guide

Bulldog Sustainability

When you enter the cardio room at Payne Whitney Gym, posters remind you to turn off lights and take the stairs. On the machines you can plug in and charge a variety of cell phones, iPods, and other handheld devices using the very energy you are pouring into your workout. While the gym’s fluorescent lights might not denote a natural setting, the focus on sustainability is clear. In the fall of 2008, the Yale Athletics Department joined forces with the Office of Sustainability to green Yale’s athletic program. Four students were hired with the goal to “create a model of sustainable collegiate athletics that is measurable, transferable, and adaptable” and created Bulldogs Sustainability.

Bulldogs Sustainability strives to go beyond the basics of recycling, looking at every major area of the athletics program and analyzing how it can become more sustainable. Recently, the NCAA asked Bulldogs Sustainability to create a best practices database for sustainable athletics that can be applied to other institutions.

Click here to learn more about Sustainable Bulldogs.
 

Yale Climate and Energy Institute

The Yale Climate and Energy Institute is an umbrella organization within Yale University, composed of all relevant departments, centers and faculty. Its mission promotes a multidisciplinary approach to learning, research, and the development of strategies that help societies contribute to solutions and adapt to the challenges of local and global climatic changes. The Institute provides seed grants, supports postgraduate study, sponsors conferences and workshops, and fosters interdisciplinary research spanning from basic atmospheric science to public policy. Nearly 100 Yale scientists, engineers, physicians, social scientists and policy experts have joined together to launch the enterprise in 2009, headed by Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, the inaugural Director of the Institute. The Office of Sustainability, along with other Yale entities involved in energy and climate issues, is an integral part of the Institute.

More information on the Yale Climate and Energy Institute