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On Friday, October 1 the Zero Waste iCAP Team had their first meeting of the semester! The team discussed progress on last year's recommendations, zero waste initiatives from F&S, and the iCAP Objective Assessment for Zero Waste. Meeting minutes are attached.
SSC received final report for Spring 2021 for Local Grains and Locally Processed Foods for Dining Services project on 09/27/2021. Please see attached.
The Engagement iCAP Team met on Wednesday, September 29 for the first time this fall semester. During the meeting, members discussed the team mission, updates on all 6 iCAP 2020 objectives, and the iCAP 2021 Objective Assessment. Meeting minutes are attached below.
SSC received semesterly report for Spring 2021 for Joint Pollinator and Composting Systems project on 9/14/2021. Please see attached.
SSC received semesterly report for Spring 2021 for the Root to Roof project on 9/16/2021. Please see attached.
President of "Students for Environmental Concerns", Alec Van Patten, reached out to propose a green rooftop project for a building on campus. Morgan White replied suggesting the Newmark Civil Engineering Lab first floor roof as the building for the project. A meeting to discuss further details was scheduled between Morgan White, Alec Van Patten, Betry Liggett, and Brent Lewis.
Picture of the Newmark Civil Engineering Lab roof is attached.
iSEE's Interim Director Madhu Khanna sent the Zero Waste iCAP Team a formal charge letter on Tuesday, September 14 detailing their campus sustainability duties this academic year. Full letter is attached.
iSEE's Interim Director Madhu Khanna sent the Engagement iCAP Team a formal charge letter on Tuesday, September 14 detailing their campus sustainability duties this academic year. Full letter is attached.
Madhu Khanna and Ehab Kamarah approved $18,025 of funding from the Carbon Credit Sales Fund for a Resilience Development Proposal.
"The Resilience Commitment, signed in 2016, was incorporated in the iCAP for the first time in the 2020 version, with a list of seven specific objectives. iSEE is the primary department responsible for helping campus achieve these ambitious goals. We request approval to fund a 20-hour/week contract with ARI to have Stacy Gloss work to develop the structure and plan for completing these objectives. The cost of a six-month agreement is $17,500" (the cost was updated with the new fiscal year due to a salary change) -Morgan White (08/13/2021)
An email of the approval is attached below.
A student reached out to Morgan White to ask if UIUC has its own recycling facility. Morgan explained UIUC has a Waste Transfer Station on campus, which collects and bales the recyclables which then get purchased from us by a regional waste hauling company. Basics of the Waste Management system can be found at Waste Reduction Plan 2020.docx in https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/state-waste-reduction-plan.
Sol Systems is looking to present at the AASHE’s Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education (GCSHE) sometime from October 12-14 through their request for abstracts on Emerging Issues in the field.
Sol Systems is looking to present on our work expanding the impact of renewable energy projects that would certainly focus on things we did for the U of I project, namely the inclusion of pollinator habitats, zero waste construction and the work with students for their Sustainability Minor Capstone projects.
The members of the Engagement iCAP Team met on Thursday, August 19 for their final meeting of the summer. At this meeting, members discussed three pending recommendations the team has been formulating throughout the summer--a sustainability section on the Illinois Homepage, sustainability sections of individual college websites, and uniform recycling signage for blue bins. Meeting minutes are attached below.
https://www.nlc.org/initiative/leadership-in-community-resilience-program-application/
Embedding equity in city resilience plans/programs
costs associated with virtual events, convenings, and workshops, including community engagement programs or processes, trainings for city staff or elected officials, and regional convenings.
On August 3, 2021, the SSC submitted a semesterly report concerning the Precious Plastic Campus Recycling Hub, which is attached here.
The following text was removed from this project description, with the update to the iCAP 2020:
"The core component of co-curricular education and sustainability outreach is strong and effective communication; therefore these objectives center around communication.
From: Maloto, Avery (FandS) <fandsamaloto2 at mx.uillinois.edu>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2021 1:15 PM
To: Johnson, Bryan Lloyd <blj at illinois.edu>
Cc: White, Morgan <mbwhite at illinois.edu>
Subject: [Follow-Up] iCAP Portal Update(s)
Hi Bryan!
I would like to offer a gentle reminder for the iCAP Portal content updates. We would appreciate receiving this information as soon as possible as it allows us to keep the public updated with university & community initiatives.
Right now, I am missing updates for the following project(s):
Please let me know if there is any information or assistance that I can provide to complete these!
Best,
Avery
Crop Sciences/ACES is committed to sustainability and works hard to ensure our land is responsibly managed! They are hosting a series of Agronomy Days; events are free and open to the public though registration is encouraged to reserve your space. Agronomy Day field events will begin on July 22 and run through August 19; tours are held each Thursday from 9 AM - 12 PM.
Click here for more information and to register: http://agronomyday.cropsciences.illinois.edu/
Representatives of the Engagement SWATeam met on July 19 to discuss 2 working recommendations: one related to recycling bin signage (having consistent & effective signage in residential halls and offices) and one related to increasing the visibility of the iCAP on university websites. Meeting minutes are attached.
To combat the issue of food waste, U of I Housing collaborated with F&S Utilities & Energy Services, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations, and environmental compliance. The committee researched various food waste options, including composting, pulpers, and grinder systems used for anaerobic digestion -- including Grind2Energy systems.
These operate similarly to an industrial garbage disposal. However, it uses significantly less water than the digester system, up to 90-95 percent less. Additionally, it does not send the waste directly to the sanitary sewer. The food waste is pumped into a 5000-6000 gallon tank located on the outside of the building it serves. A tanker truck empties the waste and takes it to the local sanitary district. The industrial-strength waste is processed in an anaerobic digester, where it undergoes treatment without oxygen. The methane produced is collected and used to generate electricity at the treatment plant.
Read more about Grind2Energy use on campus through the F&S Website or the PDF in the attached files!
Did you know Illinois has the highest percentage of Pre-World War II academic facilities in the Big Ten? This, of course, provides students, faculty, and staff with a sense of history, place, and uncommon beauty while considering the campus.
On the other hand, older buildings require more and detailed maintenance in order to satisfy up-to-date code compliance and hit notable programmatic needs for students, faculty, and staff.
Additionally, design that fits with the pre-war era of the building’s birth is important to maintain a cohesive architectural look for the campus. Assets are managed through different funding sources, including the Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment (AFMFA), an ongoing fee assessed each semester to students, and the Deferred Maintenance Program. The F&S Asset Management Plan 2021-2025 “illustrate[s] the number of aging facilities… provide[s] definition of the Facility Condition Index, review[s] how deferred maintenance has been tracked historically, and illustrate[s] current funding strategies for addressing asset management at Illinois for the next 5 years,” it reads.
The university plans to renew aging infrastructure through programs like the Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment, means to ensure building renovations are done to deferred maintenance projects.
