F&S has requested a proposal from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to get waste stream audits for select buildings across campus.  The program will repeat the efforts completed by ISTC at their building, on a larger scale.  This project could eventually extend to cover all campus facilities, or it could be done at select locations on a recurring basis to measure progress.

A green roof was constructed on the Business Instructional Facility as part of the overall green initiatives used in the construction of that building. Rooftop over the auditorium and a 1200-square foot section on the fourth roof were constructed to be green roof. Unlike conventional flat roofs, green roofs have a layer of substrate in which native plants are grown. This roof type has several benefits. Firstly, less water is discharged since the substrate detains water instead of merely draining it. The water that is discharged is also cleaner, since the plants work as a filtration system.

The primary objective of this project-based learning course is to develop critical thinking and engineering problem solving skills by exploring and proposing sustainable solutions to current civil and environmental engineering problems facing the University of Illinois campus community. This class will help students begin to identify themselves as civil and environmental engineers and prepare them for opportunities for summer internships during their undergraduate studies.

Campus is recognized as a Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly Tree Campus USA), as of 2015.  This program recognizes college and university campuses that effectively manage their campus trees, develop connectivity with the community beyond campus borders, and strive to engage their student population utilizing service learning opportunities centered on campus and community, forestry efforts.  At Illinois we recognize that trees are an important asset for our campus and the community.

Green teams are groups of faculty members that attempt to further sustainable operations at the University. There is one central focus of each green team. Focuses among all of the green teams on campus have a wide range within the broad category of sustainability, from energy efficiency to native plantings.

Transportation grants can be used to improve the roadways and decrease automobile traffic by enhancing bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities.  These grants include TIGER, IDOT, ITEP, and others.

Supported by Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Transport Safety Administration, the mission of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity.

The Division of Research Safety (DRS) collects chemical waste from the campus free of charge. The chemical waste disposal program is described in detail on their website at https://www.drs.illinois.edu/Waste/ChemicalWasteQuickStartGuide. 

Building Maintenance is a complex process where we attempt to repair or replace building components with more energy efficient and sustainable materials every chance we get.

Implementation of the Solar Research Test Bed is an important part of the research scope of the Illinois Center for a Smarter Electric Grid (ICSEG).  ICSEG’s research mission is to support the continuing development of the Smart Grid through research that tests and validates the trustworthiness (secure, reliable, private, resilient) of new components and systems that will be required to realize the full potential of the Smart Grid, and renewable energy systems such as wind and solar are critical to realizing this vision.

The Committee on Natural Areas is responsible for maintaining and managing University of Illinois owned properties which have been acquired to enhance environmental/ ecological research and education. The role of CNA is to provide and facilitate long-term research and teaching opportunities on University-owned properties. Sites are managed to protect both the integrity of the ecological systems and the bological research that takes place on them.

Ten University properties are currently under the direct supervision of the Committee on Natural Areas: