The UIUC Biodiesel Initiative (or Illinois Biodiesel Initiative) is a project that evolved from Engineers Without Borders and has collected Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) from dining halls on campus in order to convert it to biodiesel fuel. This fuel has been used by campus vehicles at the Facilities & Services (F&S) Garage and Car Pool since spring of 2006.
The iCAP 2020 objective 9.4 is to "Achieve STARS Platinum rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) by FY30." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is iSEE.
Paper plays a key role in University of Illinois operations. The University is concerned about the future of the world’s forests and the environmental impacts of paper production, such as energy consumption (and associated carbon emissions), water usage, and waste production.
The iCAP 2020 objective 5.6 is to "Increase the use of local food to 35% by FY30." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is University Housing. Local is defined as grown within 100 miles of the institution.
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 8, objective 1 was, "By the end of FY16, conduct a Request for Proposals process for verified carbon offsets — and undertake the first campus purchase of offsets." iSEE developed and published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for purchasing carbon credits, aka carbon offsets.
UIUC participated in Second Nature's C2P2 program, with a verified carbon credit project for credits issued from 2011 to 2021.
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 5, objective 2 is "Improve the water efficiency of cooling towers by limiting the amount discharged to sewer to less than 20% of water intake for chiller plant towers, and less than 33% for stand-alone building towers, by FY20." The results of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center’s True Cost of Water Study yielded five action items and two pilot studie
The Red Oak Rain Garden soaks up rainwater, enhances the campus and community aesthetic and educational experience, and promotes well-being for everyone who visits.
Constructed in 2006 by Prof. Tony Endress and his NRES 420 class, a garden renovation is building on this original effort. The new planting palette installed Fall 2019 has earned recognition from several conservation organizations.
A goal for the University of Illinois’ campus, as set forth by the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan, is to reduce directly related agricultural emissions by 50 percent by 2020. In order to complete this goal, the campus must shift to more sustainable agricultural and animal production practices. Areas that need improvement include reductions in food waste and the energy required for food processing, preparation, and transportation.
The LCLB basement roof is a plaza at ground level. It was built to accommodate greenery on the roof and did so from 2012 to 2014. The planters were filled with porous rock for ease of maintenance. The area still helps with rainwater runoff, however, plants could be added to the planters again to provide more benefits around the ground level of the building. Plants were added on 6/18/24.
The President’s House is provided to the University of Illinois President and their family. This home is used as a family home and for formal events each year including the President’s and Chancellor’s Reception following campus-wide graduation for graduates, candidates, and their families. This building is maintained by Facilities & Services with power supplied through the campus grid. A feasibility study for geothermal installation was completed. This site is a good candidate for geothermal energy.
