YESAction Initiatives
YESWaste
YESWaste
Cutting down on landfill waste and plastic pollution.
The Problem We're Solving
Schools generate an enormous amount of waste every day. This includes items such as single-use lunch trays, plastic utensils, packaging, and paper that often could be recycled or composted but ends up in the trash instead. In many cases, recycling bins exist but are contaminated or unused because students were never taught what actually belongs in them. Plastic waste in particular breaks down into microplastics that persist in soil and water for generations, making prevention far more effective than cleanup after the fact. Most students want to waste less, but without clear systems and habits in place at school, it's easy for goodintentions to fall apart.
Foundation
Every chapter participating in YES Waste should:
Conduct a waste audit at their school to figure out what waste is actually being thrown away and what could have been diverted, then use the results to identify and implement one clear fix (e.g. better-labeled recycling bins, a compost bin in the cafeteria).
Publicize the findings and the fix through posters or announcements so students understand why the change is happening.
This foundation alone builds environmental literacy at scale. Most people don't need to be convinced sustainability matters — they need to be shown exactly what to do about it.
Going Further
Chapters that want to extend their impact can:
Launch a campus-wide composting program for cafeteria food scraps and organize a community cleanup event targeting local parks, beaches, or streets.
Push for reusable trays, utensils, or containers to replace single-use items in the cafeteria.
Awareness alone rarely changes behavior — repetition and community accountability do. Pairing consistent online content with real-world touchpoints turns passive followers into people who've actually changed a habit, not just read about one.
How We Support You
YES Action is here to help. Chapters working on YES Waste can reach out to us for:
Waste audit templates and step-by-step guides for running one
Advice on approaching school administration or food service providers about composting
or reusables
Design support for signage that actually gets people sorting waste correctly
Connections to chapters that have successfully reduced cafeteria waste at their own schools
Recognition
As we roll out our chapter recognition system, your chapter's participation in YES Waste will count toward your standing. Chapters that complete a waste audit and implement a clear fix — and those that go further by launching composting programs or pushing for reusables — will earn higher
