Trash to Treasure

 
Trash to Treasure is one of the three winning programs selected by the student body (in addition to Summer Storage and Hydration Stations) that resulted from the YCC 10K Initiative. Expanded from the 5K Initiative during the 2010-2011 school year, the 10K Initiative was created to bring about issues-based change on salient campus issues.

Trash to Treasure was created to address the phenomena in which students throw out hundreds of items at the end of each school year, many of which are in great condition. The YCC collects these items—which would otherwise go straight to the trash— and stores them over the summer; during the summer months YCC inventories the items and updates the Trash to Treasure website [https://sites.google.com/site/trashtotreasureyale/], which includes pictures of all items collected and the incredibly discounted prices at which they will be sold. Students can reserve items on this site in August and pick them up at the beginning of the school year—in 2011 pickup will take place on the 27th and 28th of August in New Haven Lot 51. This year was the first of this program’s operation, and all items were sold out within one hour of the website going live—an instant success! Trash to Treasure contributes to a more sustainable Yale while saving students tons of money.