The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) outlines a path for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2050, and to work with our local communities to build resilience to climate change. The iCAP 2020 is the campus’s strategic sustainability plan to meet our Climate Leadership Commitments.
For the iCAP objectives to be reached, sustainability outreach to the campus community needs to increase. This project proposes to incorporate Campus Sustainability principles, expectations, and requirements in the annual ethics training required for all Urbana campus employees. This can be done with optional short videos at the conclusion of the mandatory training.
This project will improve the waste process around the outdoor campus areas and increase recycling participation. It will do this by increasing recycling bin visibility with improved bins and signage, co-locating waste and recycling bins, and improving the overall layout of waste and recycling bins on campus. There are currently 372 concrete trash bins on campus and an additional 60 made of other materials. Facilities & Services initially proposed to remove all 432 of the bins and to replace them with a total of 133 dual bins.
This project will improve the recycling process in buildings around campus by encouraging sustainable actions and improving the layout of waste and recycling bins within these buildings. Facilities & Services collaborated with ISTC to make an “Indoor Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Assessment”. This assessment determined that the type and layout of collection containers in buildings across campus should be standardized. An update would enable them to be co-located and allow for greater infrastructure consistency.
According to the Control Mandate #13 - Solid Waste Management Act (415 ILCS 20/3.1 thru 20/3.1), each State-supported institution of higher learning shall develop a comprehensive waste reduction plan covering a period of 10 years which addresses the management of solid waste generated by academic, administrative, student housing and other institutional functions.
This project will involve the design, construction, and installation of a geothermal system to heat one greenhouse at the UIUC Woody Perennial Polyculture (WPP) Research Site, located near the southwest corner of Race Street and Windsor Avenue.
The goal of this student-led project is to create a zero-waste woodshop. A significant amount of material flows through the shop at the School of Architecture and most students waste more than they use. By acquiring a few tools to separate synthetic (plastics, EPS, polyurethane foam, etc.) from natural (wood & wood products) materials, the woodshop can drastically minimize waste to the university landfill and use the recaptured material for a multitude of other uses.
In April 2017 three faculty members received $14,522 from the University Research Board to conduct preliminary investigations surrounding crop residue as a building material at both small and large scale. The results of those initial investigations proved very positive. This project primarily strives to turn corn stalks into a building project. Students have assisted Associate Professor Mark Taylor, from the School of Architecture throughout the project, giving students research and professional development opportunities.
A student research team, under Dr. Yuanhui Zhang, will expand the Environment-Enhancing Energy (E2E) research program to campus application by augmenting wet food waste produced through the dining halls. They will first survey dining services food waste and make their findings available to campus affiliates. Next, they will take dining waste and convert it into biofuel and asphalt. This process will reduce UIUC’s food waste, advancing the Illinois Climate Action Plan efforts. Likewise, the project will bring awareness to food waste at a local level.
Illinois Enactus’s mission is to contribute to the UN sustainable development goals by developing collaborative business ventures that work towards social, economic, and environmental equality in all communities. Illinois Enactus is an official chapter of the worldwide non-profit organization, Enactus. Enactus exists in more than 39 countries and has more than 1,600 teams across the globe, and Illinois Enactus ranks in the Top 4 of US teams. Being a member of Enactus means that you are a part of the largest and most prestigious business network on the planet.
