UCSD - University of California - San Diego

04/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/28/2026 09:14

Take 10 With a Triton: Elizabeth Lin, Working Toward a ‘Zero-Waste’ Future

Published Date

April 28, 2026

Article Content

Name: Elizabeth Lin

Position: Waste Management, Recycling, and Sustainability Manager

Years at UC San Diego: Lin has worked at UC San Diego for just over 2 years, starting in January 2024.

What she does at UC San Diego: As a "zero-waste" manager, Lin seeks to reduce the waste produced throughout all of UC San Diego. Her efforts to reduce waste include increasing the diversion of waste from landfills as much as possible, putting in place sustainability programs and systems like composting and recycling. In these efforts, she works with campus partners such as undergraduate and graduate housing, the Price Center, and recreation areas.

One of her recent projects was to map out areas on campus where the existing compost recycling bins were not being used. By identifying those areas, Lin and her team were able to map new areas for the bins so that they could be used more effectively and find alternative methods of composting for the areas where the bins were underutilized. Currently, Lin is working on adding centralized waste collection bins on campus to improve recycling and compost participation by providing clear, standardized sorting locations.

Lin also seeks to educate students and staff about sustainability and recycling in general. Compost is processed in an anaerobic digester, located in North Torrey Pines and Sixth College. "These are machines where microorganisms break down organic waste to produce energy and fertilizer," she explains. "However, do not include bioplastics or anything that feels like plastic as these materials don't break down like organic waste and can take much longer to degrade than organic materials."

What she loves about UC San Diego: Lin loves the opportunity to work with students on her team every day. "They teach me something new, and it gives me the chance to make an impact." The members of the zero-waste team bring a wide range of skills from communications to architecture. "I know they're going on to work in big places after graduation, but they'll take what they learned on the zero-waste team here," Lin says. "That's absolutely what I love about UC San Diego, the impact and collaboration I have here with my students and making the world closer to becoming zero waste."

Elizabeth Lin. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Lin)

Best advice received: Lin gives a shoutout to the campus sustainability officer, Carrie Metzgar, and the advice she gave to Lin from writer James Clear's bestselling self-help book, Atomic Habits. As Lin phrases it, "Sometimes we're under pressure to get better right away, and people freeze because it's not perfect, so nothing happens. But if you're getting 1% better every day, at the end of the year, you can look back and see you've gotten exponentially better than you would have if you'd waited for it to be perfect. Don't let the bad be the end of the good."

Something unique in her workspace: A unique aspect of Lin's workspace is that she also works with the seven student gardens scattered around campus. "With my role, I get to go out and see what our students are growing," says Lin, "it gives me the chance to break free from my office and go outside to touch some grass and try out fruit that's in season."

Favorite spot on campus: What other spot could be Lin's favorite place on campus if not a garden? The rooftop garden at the top of Kaleidoscope in Sixth College is Lin's go-to spot on campus. "You can see the ocean and it is like an escape for me," Lin explains. "The garden grows really well because of the enormous amount of sun. And it is beautiful."

Something most people don't know about her: What many may find surprising is that her background is in communication. "While it's not the normal background for people in sustainability or zero-waste roles, my passion has always been to teach, educate, and communicate that change needs to happen," she says. Lin focused on projects that promoted sustainability in her graduate studies. "I use the lens for communication with a passion for the environment to get to where I am now," she says.

If she had one day to do whatever she wanted: Lin's favorite day off includes catching sunsets or sunrises with the people who matter most to her. "I would take my family, pack up a picnic, go to the beach, and just enjoy where I live," she says.

UCSD - University of California - San Diego published this content on April 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 28, 2026 at 15:14 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]