On September 14, UIUC sustainability representatives met with Coca-Cola and discussed the following:

• Daphne Hulse, recently appointed as the new Zero Waste Coordinator under F&S, was introduced to UIUC's Coca-Cola representative, Jake Slager.
• "Don't Waste It" is a patented statement, so the campaign will drop the "It":
  • Allows us to use consistent messaging across campus. "It" was vague.
  • Allows us to be flexible with messaging opportunities ("I don't waste hits/shots/swings/opportunities/college experiences", etc.).
  • Graphic assets will be updated to reflect the new messaging.
  • Colorways will be confirmed for black (landfill), royal blue (recycling), so that it matches with UIUC existing colors.
• Working towards a long-lasting partnership for sustainability:
  • Consider more deeply the carbon footprint of Coca-Cola packaging. In previous discussions it was suggested that plastic was the best packaging option.
  • UIUC wants to continue to question these statements: the labor that goes into packaging, the process of determining which material is best, who researches the packaging for sustainability metrics.
  • We want to encourage a working environment where UIUC and Coca-Cola can challenge each other without feeling accusatory.
  • Opportunities for class projects.
• Solar tables:
  • Coca-Cola has 3 free solar tables to provide us with.
  • The Architecture Review Committee has the final say on changes made to campus.
    • We will be hearing from them soon; Morgan has reached out.
    • UIUC has a stringent filter for advertising (Aaron and Marty are familiar with this).

• Other campuses are experimenting with sustainability:

  • University of Washington did a bring-your-old t-shirt event.
  • A few campuses are using the phrase “Get Caught Green Handed” on campus (and rewarding students who recycle with t-shirts).

• Circular Systems Audit Infrastructure (something University of Southern California did):

  • UIUC is planning a waste audit — there is an upcoming meeting on September 30 with the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

    • We will choose a few buildings to monitor (Pete has some ideas already).

• Zero waste athletic events:

  • The group collectively was keen to see another zero waste event (the last zero waste events happened in fall and spring of 2014, and the campus race to zero waste).
  • Morgan thinks it might be best to allow Campus Sustainability Month / Celebration and America Recycles Day (we have never done an America Recycles Day before) to shine before we attempt an athletic event. Jake will reach out to a contact with zero waste events — specifically, basketball at State Farm.
  • Pete believes it is best to allow ourselves time to prepare for a large-scale event like this; perhaps try a zero waste basketball game in spring 2023. We might think about a zero waste football game for this semester in fall 2022.