The primary contract for vending machines on our campus is systematically replacing old beverage machines with new machines that have lighting sensors. In addition, out snack vendors that include this technology. The percentage of vending machines with sensors is now up to 80 percent.

Prepared and unserved foods are donated to charity organizations, such as Salvation Army Stepping Stone, The Times Center, and the Center for Women in Transition. Raw, unprepared foods are donated to the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

Sustainability is a living-learning community that welcomes students to live and learn about diverse aspects of sustainability in a variety of ways: academically, organically, and experientially. Located on two floors in the Lincoln Avenue Residence Halls, students with similar interests and intents from a range of different backgrounds are invited to experience this new community, where opportunities abound to learn not only from professionals, but from each other and from shared experiences.

The Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE), formerly the Office of Sustainability (OS), serves as a campus designee on the Illinois Green Government's Coordinating Council. Serving on the council involves monthly meetings of the Green College and Universities subcommittee (GUCS) and the policy and legislation workgroup. Areas of discussion include the state plumbing code in regard to the use of grey water and waterless urinals, and the Governor's Executive Order No. 11 regarding the environmental impact of government operations, and reporting requirements for waste management.

Since 2009, operational, administrative, and sustainability staff and faculty from the Big Ten and several additional schools have been meeting on a semi-annual basis to discuss environmental stewardship and sustainability issues. This Big Ten and Friends Environmental Stewardship Group was an outgrowth of the Big Ten Financial Officers group, which had expressed an interest in long-term planning for environmental issues.

The University of Illinois campus hosted the "Workshop on Healthy Partnerships for a Thriving Champaign-Urbana: A University-Community Dialogue for Green Jobs and Entrepreneurship" in Spring 2012. Renowned eco-entrepreneur Majora Carter visited the campus for the workshop. An open constructive university-community dialogue was constructed through the workshop. This dialogue was meant to brainstorm creative approaches to improving the health and well-being of the community, including the environment and ecosystems that support us.

Champaign County Sustainability Practitioners is an informal intergovernmental committee that facilitates coordination of local sustainability initiatives that span political boundaries. CCSP’s goal is to investigate sustainability for the region and build momentum for addressing complex sustainability issues such as land use and climate change.

Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) is a volunteer-led organization that hosts open discussions in the community. It is designed to provide a forum where business leaders and citizens can learn about new technology, ideas and business models associated with the emerging trend toward sustainability. It is an organization that seeks to build local knowledge and networks and to highlight local talent, resources and innovations.

The Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE), formerly the Office of Sustainability (OS), funded a faculty member who is developing long-term experiential learning sites that will integrate research, education, engagement, and operations through hands-on learning on campus, regionally, and globally.  This includes development of virtual experiential learning sites, which archive data and information on the physical sites.

The Center for a Sustainable Environment, formerly the Office of Sustainability, sponsors the Scholarship of Sustainability Series. The Scholarship of Sustainability Series: The Human Place in Nature is a ten-week long educational series than offers an in-depth investigation of the seminal literature surrounding sustainability. The series is open to faculty, staff, students, and the public. Students may also receive credit for participation in the series by enrolling on one of the five courses connected to the series. Hundreds of people attended each section of the series.