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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects

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  1. Dominika Szal carries on the waste survey work that Syd Trimble began

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability
    Achieve Zero Waste
    1.  

     

    1. Syd Trimble and Dominika Szal began efforts to create a comprehensive waste management survey to dissmeninate to all Big Ten and Friends affiliated insitutitons. With the results in hand, they would collate and summarize the data, and give back the analysis to each of the schools for their benefit. The purpose was to benchmark schools against one another and determine the highlights and opportunities for improvement at each school.
    2. Draft of the initial survey:
      1. I saw that your school has a goal of achieving a [insert % waste diversion by whatever year]. Why did your school decide to work on reducing your waste production in the first place?
        1. What year was the goal initially decided? (what is your benchmark year?)
        2. What was the waste diversion rate of your benchmark year?
        3. Why did you decide on this rate as a goal?
        4. If you accomplish your goal by [desired year], would you then work on maintaining that waste diversion rate or would you work on diverting even more waste?
        5. What waste goal metrics do you track?
        6. What do you include in your waste diversion rate?
      2. What are the most common challenges you face when attempting to reach waste reduction goals?
        1. How did you identify your next course of action to deal with these challenges?
      3. Which initiatives would you say were the most effective in reaching your goals for waste reduction?
      4. Do you provide your own recycling or waste collection services or is it outsourced?
      5. How is recycling funded?
        1. Do you sell your collected recyclables?
          1. How is that revenue used?
      6. How is waste disposal funded?
      7. How important is investing in public education about recycling/waste reduction?
        1. How do you get the word out about recycling or any initiatives you have going on
        2. Have you noticed which types of marketing tend to be more receptive by certain demographics (such as students or faculty?)
        3. Does your institution have any training for students and/or faculty for them to be more aware of recycling?
        4. What are ongoing initiatives that your institution is developing? (ex. recycling app, recyclopedia)
      8. With football games, we typically see a lot of waste, whether it’s from tailgating or the game itself. What has your institution done to effectively increase recycling/reduce waste at these events? If you haven’t done so yet, are there any plans in the works?
        1. Do you work directly with the concessionaire?
        2. Who works as the liaison with Athletics? Do you have a sustainability specialist working within Athletics?
        3. How do you get enough volunteers to help with achieving your waste reduction goals at the games?
        4. What would you say helped the most with increasing recycling rates during football games?
      9. Do you have any specialty recycling initiatives? Some examples of specialty recycling include batteries, PPE, glasses recycling, or phone recycling.
      10. Question related to procurement goals (look up “sustainable leadership purchasing council”)
        1. Do you currently have a sustainable procurement policy in place?
          1. If no, is your institution pursuing a sustainable procurement policy?
        2. Were there any challenges that arose while developing this policy?
      11. Does your institution address e-waste, whether through re-use (ex. a surplus store) or donation?

  2. Weekly Update: New hires

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, We’ve got a backlog of bikes in need of test rides/final tune-ups that I’ll happily attend to with the warmer weather this week. We’ve got a new batch of hires starting as well.

    This week I’ve got trainings with staff and I’ll start game-planning with my team for our ramped-up programming for March/April. Warm weather = more bikes.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 17
    Sales: $356.50

    Bike (refurb): 1 for $160
    Build-a-Bike: 1 for $30
    Memberships:  2 for $60

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  3. Terry Guen, TGDA, presentation at TBH

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)
    Sustainable Landscapes Plan

    Terry Guen’s practice has brought ecology back to communities through high-profile technical projects in landscape and urban design. TGDA is a nationally recognized designer of urban public spaces and ecological landscapes. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, TGDA designed landscapes for Ikenberry Commons and the recently completed Siebel Center for Design.

    March 3, 5:30–6:45 pm • 134 Temple Buell Hall (Plym Auditorium), 611 E. Lorado Taft Drive, Champaign, IL.

    Conor O'Shea • Department of Landscape Architecture

    baseline_wifi_black_18dp.png This opportunity is available online.

    Stanley H. White Lecture: Terry Guen, Principal and Founder, TGDA

  4. Mason Bee House Workshop

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Join Piatt County Master Gardener Kent McFarland as he explains the importance of having a Mason Bee House in your garden, and walks you through the steps of building one using recycled and natural materials. Registration is required; $15/person, includes all materials.

    March 26, 10–11 am • Registration Deadline: 3/18/22 • Greenhouse Auditorium at Allerton Park & Retreat Center

    Olivia Warren • Allerton Park & Retreat Center

    Mason Bee House Workshop

  5. Update on Charging Stations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    From: Robert O'Daniell <rodaniell@att.net>
    Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2022 5:05 PM
    To: White, Morgan; Slezak, Paul
    Cc: DeLorenzo, Stacey; Prasad, Sarthak
    Subject: I guess I spoke too soon Re: I’m happy to report

    The ChargePoint locations at B4, D22 and E14 are all down. Disappeared from the ChargePoint app and will not charge. (Discovered Sunday noonish at E14 when I failed to begin charge. Standing beside the charger the App said no chargers nearby) Checked the other locations. All three locations have same message on the screen.

    Robert K. O'Daniell
    Photographer Emeritus-News-Gazette
    PO Box 2085
    Champaign, IL 61825
    217-352-1493

    Attached Files: 

  6. Update on Charging Stations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Install Public Use Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

    From: Robert O'Daniell <rodaniell@att.net>
    Sent: Friday, February 25, 2022 1:43 PM
    To: White, Morgan; Slezak, Paul
    Cc: DeLorenzo, Stacey; Prasad, Sarthak
    Subject: I’m happy to report

    The chargers at B4 are back - showing up on the Where to Charge apps again. (Began Feb 24th)

    The damaged screen still not replaced at D22 ( supply chain issue ? )

    On an odd note in the last week or so – I failed in an attempt to charge at E14. Possibly a weather issue and there are indications that others have indeed charged. I have not yet tried again. Possibly a one time issue.

    During that attempt I became aware of some kind of issue with 3G on all three of those charging stations. ATT shut down Feb 22 and Verizon and T-mobile will both shut down 3G by the end of the year. All 3 ChargePoint locations indicate “Illini charging / Off network 1” and a warning message. I did drive by and cars are indeed charging at B4 and at D22 in spite of that message.

    ( images below )
    ——————
    As a retired person I’ve taken on the project of making it easier for people buy and transition to EVs. And to do what I can to improve the infrastructure needed for the EVs.

    Robert K. O'Daniell
    PO Box 2085
    Champaign, IL 61825
    217-493-8129

    Attached Files: 

  7. New iSEE Green Event Certification

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Certified Green Event Program

    Congratulations to the newest recipient of our Green Event Certification Program!

    IHSA Wheelchair Basketball/Unified Sports State Tournament, Certified February 2022

    The event will be held at a location that is convenient for public transportation. They will also use natural lighting whenever possible to minimize lighting needs, along with communicating that the event is sustainable via Green Event promotion.

    Keep up the great work!

  10. Weekly Update: Uni High Agora Days classes; Maintenance Class

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    All, Last week we held our Uni High Agora Days classes from Tues – Fri. It went very well with all the students engaged in learning and tinkering on the bikes. One student even said they’d return to volunteer, which was great. All 3 of the bikes were mostly done by week’s end. We also received some quality donations from a local bike shop and started overhauling those bikes for sale. I’ve also hired a new Program Assistant to help me out off-hours.

    This week I’ll be meeting with the Urbana Parks District to discuss our Maintenance class we’re collaborating on next month and getting more bikes ready for the sales floor. We’ll see how busy we are today with the very warm weather.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11
    Sales: $91
    Memberships: 2 for $60

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  11. Zero Waste Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    The Zero Waste team met on Monday, February 21 to draft a recommendation on reducing single-use plastics on campus--particularly in vending machines. This recommendation, along with the other teams drafted by the team last semester, will be presented at an upcoming Sustainability Sub-council.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Zero Waste Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    The Zero Waste team met on Monday, February 21 to draft a recommendation on reducing single-use plastics on campus--particularly in vending machines. This recommendation, along with the other teams drafted by the team last semester, will be presented at an upcoming Sustainability Sub-council.

    Attached Files: 

  14. "Recycling 101: Start With Reduce, Reuse" -iSEE Newsletter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Increase Recycling Rates

    The following passage is taken from an iSEE February Newsletter (the newsletter is attached below).

     

    Recycling 101: Start With Reduce, Reuse 

    Did you know less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled each year? Or that cardboard contaminated with grease or food can't be recycled? In "Recycling 101," iSEE intern Maria Maring outlines what can and can't be recycled on campus, recycling rules and resources in Champaign-Urbana, and tips from sustainability experts about what you can do to recycle effectively and keep waste out of the landfill. Most important: Remember that recycling is just one of the "three Rs," and that "reuse" and "reduce" are just as important in shrinking your environmental footprint!

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  16. Geothermal Urbana-Champaign 2.0 Spring Zoom Sessions

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Urbana-Champaign
    Geothermal on Campus

    The following text is from the February iSEE Newsletter, which is attached below.

     

    Geothermal Urbana-Champaign 2.0 Starts Feb. 23. Geothermal Urbana-Champaign is a public education and group buy program that makes getting geothermal heating and cooling easier and more affordable for Champaign, Piatt, and Vermilion County home and business owners. Register for a spring Zoom session to learn more! Spring dates include Feb. 23, March 29, April 12 (co-hosted by iSEE and F&S), May 2, and May 23 (times vary). Details>>>

    Attached Files: 

  17. Weekly Update: Build-a-bike, Uni High Agora Days class

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Support Youth Sustainability

    All, Picked up 4 – 5 bikes from Urbana last week which were promptly claimed as B-a-Bs or tagged for shop builds. This week we have our Uni High Agora Days class coming in Tues – Fri. This will reduce our open hours on Wed/Fri to 4 – 6p.

    I’ll be picking up 5 bikes from Champaign Cycle on Tuesday afternoon, too. That should get us towards a good number of bikes on hand.

    The numbers:

    visitors: 10
    Sales: $324
    Bike (refurb): 1 for $180
    Memberships: 3 for $90

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  19. HVAC and Air Quality Assessment Project Meeting (2-11-2022)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control

    Dhuvaraj Gambhire and Ali Khan met with Morgan White on 2-11-2022 to discuss how they can acquire a Notice to Proceed and access to the Atmospheric Science Building for testing.

    They will get a quote from Sterling, which will allow them to get a Purchase Order (PO). After they get the PO, they can get a Notice to Proceed and access to the building.

  20. Big Ten & Friends Network Event, Exploring University Sustainable Lab Certification Programs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability
    Green Research Committee

    The following email describes an online session about various Green Lab Certification Programs.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: Vandenbergh, Lydia Bodman
    Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2022 8:35 AM
    To: Vandenbergh, Lydia Bodman
    Subject:BTAF Sustainable Lab Programs Presentation and Discussion - Feb 24th

     

    As Higher Education Institutions develop their Climate Action Plans, one opportunity repeatedly arises: culture change in our approach to research. The US Department of Energy estimates that lab buildings consume anywhere from three to ten times the energy and water of administrative and classroom buildings and generate high amounts of single use plastics and hazardous wastes. One question is, how to change the culture without compromising the integrity of the science? 

     

    Members of the Big Ten and Friends Network are encouraged to join together on February 24th at 11am EST to learn how three universities are promoting change in their campus labs using three variations on a green lab certification program.  

    • Ken Keeler, from the University of Michigan, will kick off the meeting describing the University’s decade-long successful program that combines a lab self-assessment and staff visit. Over 200 labs have worked through this program, but it requires substantial staff time. Ken will describe their exploration to tap efficiencies.  
    • Next is Tim Lindstrom, who leads the University of Wisconsin at Madison Green Lab Program, which is similar to the Michigan’s assessment model, but integrates a student internship component to support the labs’ efforts. 
    • University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nick Ciancio will showcase his four-year effort collaborating with MyGreenLab’s certification program, a unique pilot that UAB is eager to expand. 


    The session will conclude with time for discussion with the panelists. Please register to join in this inspirational presentation and exploration of culture change.  

    Register here  

     

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information to join meeting. We are purposefully limiting the invitation to BTAF’s members to encourage a fruitful discussion, but we will record the session and make it available to share with other colleges and universities.  

     

    Lydia

     

    Lydia Vandenbergh (she/her)
    Associate Director of Employee Engagement and Education
    Sustainability Institute

    Penn State University

    The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations.  As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

    Check out our programs:
    sustainability.psu.edu/greenteams
    sustainability.psu.edu/greenpaws

     

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