Hello PWR SWATeam,

I know you have several topics for your team to address this year, and I am so sorry I cannot attend the meeting on Monday!  This email is to share a few agenda items that I would appreciate your help with, as time permits this fall.

1. Robert McKim is a new faculty member on this SWATeam, but he has been working with battery recycling all of last year.  Would you please review the report he will share and consider a formal SWATeam recommendation?
2. I just sent an email regarding the Harding Band Building recycling system.  Please take a look at it and consider a formal recommendation.  I believe a walkthrough of the building may show an opportunity for a new bottles and cans recycling bin inside, and perhaps the large blue tote could be shifted into a more convenient spot during the game days. 
3. The employees in civil engineering were surveyed by Becky Jonas (with assistance from Tim Stark) about recycling over the summer.  Please take a look at the results Becky has collected.  It is our intention to use your draft recommendation on indoor bin placement, to rearrange the bins in NCEL.  This should be done in consultation with the BSWs and Facility Manager in that building.  Please let me know which folks from your team would like to participate in the meeting with Tim Prunkard and Ramona Burns, about rearranging the indoor bins to increase the recycling rates.  At this time, I do not think a related recommendation is needed.
4. During tailgates, there is a great opportunity to collect more recyclables in blue bags.  Someone shared the idea with me that we could ask DIA to provide blue bags and a simple flyer about what to recycle in the bags, at the entry ways for tailgate parking areas.  There is already a controlled entry point, so the implementation of handing out blue bags and instructions could be straightforward.  Do you think this could be a formal recommendation to DIA?
5. The SmartWay recommendation was transmitted to the Illini Union and F&S Stores this week. We intend to have a webinar with instructions from the EPA SmartWay coordinators.  Would any of you be interested in participating in that conference call?
6. As I understand it, the Purchasing Office has been shifted from the System level to the Campus level for reporting, and there are additional changes still in process about procurement policies and authority.  I met with Brad Henson last week, and he is determined to be available and participate in the SWATeam meetings.  He agreed to send a proxy when he cannot attend, and this Monday that is his intention.  While we were talking, I gave him a brief history on the paper policy discussion, and we thought it may make sense to have purchasing policies in the Campus Administrative Manual.  Until recently, purchasing policies were set at the System level.  Please discuss this possibility with Brad.  I already have the formal recommendation from your team related to this (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/pwr009-paper-policy-recommendation-transmittal).  I am looking for feedback on the idea of separating the existing policy into two.
7. For the outdoor bin replacement, we have approval from the Architecture Review Committee, the Superintendent of Grounds, and the Campus Landscape Architect to proceed with the dual bins across campus.  Marya Ryan has provided a rough estimate of the funding needed, as approximately $500,000. Ximing and I would appreciate a recommendation from your team in support of implementing this project, seeking funding support from each of the responsible parties (such as Parking, DIA, Campus, and Student Affairs). Because it is a large-scale highly-visible project, it is likely this recommendation would go to the Sustainability Council, which we hope will meet this November.
8. Finally, I am hoping to start getting regular (at least twice per year) Project Updates in the iCAP Portal for projects with the status “In Progress.”  Is it possible for your SWATeam to help with this effort?  I believe it would be a matter of looking at the iCAP Portal theme page (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/themes/procurement-waste), clicking expand all, and reviewing the information on each of the twelve “In Progress” projects.  If it doesn’t have a recent update, then someone on your team could reach out to the contact person and get an update to post. 

Also, for your info, there is a pending recommendation for hiring a full-time Zero Waste Coordinator.  The iCAP Working Group will discuss this at our first meeting this fall.

Thank you so much for your help with all of this!  Having students, faculty, and staff working together to advance the iCAP has been a wonderful help, and I am eager to work with you this year.  Sorry again for being unable to attend on Monday.

All my best,

Morgan

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Ms. Morgan White

Associate Director of F&S, Sustainability

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

148B Physical Plant Service Building, MC-800

1501 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820

217-333-2668 mbwhite@illinois.edu

http://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu