Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most established technologies for processing waste organics. This study investigated the feasibility of installing an Anaerobic Digester to produce renewable energy from available streams of organic waste (feedstock) within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. This study assumed that one on-site digester would be installed in the University’s South Farms. The best digester and energy conversion options were explored while considering UIUC’s existing resources and operations, as well as the goals stated in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP).

From: Lisa Brooks Sent: Monday, March 31, 2014 9:57 PM To: Dempsey, John Garrett Subject: School Composting Project   Jack Dempsey,   My name is Lisa Brooks, and I am a student at UIUC. My class and I are collaborating with the Urbana Environmental Sustainability Division to establish a school composting program throughout Urbana schools. The goal of the program is to lower the amount of food waste in the school while producing rich organic top soil. We are currently in the development phase of the program, and we did some research on the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment. I was wondering if you would be interested in scheduling a time to discuss the details of the project and any suggestions or ideas you might have for how to make our program as effective as possible. If there is anyone else at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment that could also provide insight into this project that would be greatly appreciated as well. Feel free to contact me at any time if you are interested in discussing this project.   Thank you for your help,   Lisa Brooks

Mike Lyon, Karen Greenwalt, and Michael Hites are working with ISEE to implement departmental bike sharing this summer.  We also have a commitment from Assistant Vice President Gloria Keeley to participate along with AITS; many of their employees are at HAB and central campus.

On February 26, 2014 over 100 volunteers collaborated in a competition at a U of I basketball game to divert as much waste as possible from landfill.  Isolated waste bins were changed into recycling stations with new signs for landfill and recycling.   Fans were educated by volunteers about which bin to use.   After the game, participants collected and recycled as much as possible.  Landfilled and recycled materials were weighed and recorded to indicate a diversion rate of 31.5%.

This Feasibility study considers the potential placement of a Photovoltaic array on the roof of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA). The Study was conducted in two phases, the reports of which are included herein. A construction budget of five hundred eighty-five thousand dollars ($585,000), excluding contingencies, was proposed by the Student Sustainability Committee.

Based on shadow studies, it was determined that placement of a photovoltaic array on the roof of the Great Hall would maximize the potential power gain, as compared to other locations at KCPA. However, structural analyses have shown that the roof structure would require strengthening prior to the application of any new load. Additionally, based on its age, it is recommended that the roofing be replaced prior to the installation of a photovoltaic array. Access to the roof is cumbersome, and is also in need of improvement. The opinion of probable construction cost for this associated work exceeds the five hundred eighty-five thousand dollar ($585,000) construction budget. Without considering these associated projects in the payback analysis, the complexities of constructing a PV array on the roof structure diminish the economical effectiveness of a roof mounted PV array as compared to a ground-mounted system, assuming the ready
availability of real estate.

Based on these findings, it is the recommendation of Hanson Professional Services Inc. (Hanson) that a photovoltaic array not be placed on the roof of the Great Hall at KCPA, and that consideration be given instead to directing the available funds to a location that is more readily suited to its construction.

The University of Wisconsin  in Madison has a program to reduce polystyrene waste.  They reached out to Ben McCall to get a letter of support.  Meanwhile, Bart Bartels, Seth Rients, and Shantanu Pai suggested we could start a similar program now, rather than wait to know if Wisconsin's funding comes through.  Ben suggested the following questions to consider as a starting point.

1. Where can we set up local "staging areas" in the relevant buildings?
2. Who can move things from the staging areas to a central location for bundling?  Students?
3. Can we identify "local" (St. Louis, Chicago, Indy) companies such as Sigma that would want these?
4. How can we arrange to truck them to those companies?  [I wonder if we could even send them back on the trucks that drop off chemical orders?]

The greenhouse is built, the bin is constructed, bedding logistics are in place, and food waste collection should begin the week after spring break. Ramp up to about 150-200 lbs of food waste processing per week should be complete in about 4-5 months. For this bin and the way it fits into the SSF management plan, we’d never process more than 250-300# of actual food waste a week. This would make for a max range of 7,000-14,000 lbs of food waste processed per year (47 weeks, we wouldn’t collect waste during Christmas and Spring Break). 

If there is any confusion about this PILOT vermicomposting project I’d like to clarify it here, because I have gotten a few requests from outside sources about taking in outside food waste (word spreads quickly). This particular unit is only meant as a pilot demonstration to prove this can be done on a larger (potential campus wide) scale. This 5x16 unit we have is an example of one part of what could be a much larger facility. However, if this is successful I would like to see that facility be something that the SSF does not manage, and ideally in another specifically built piece of infrastructure to house a larger scale process. The greenhouse also serves as our transplant production house. Between the existing unit and managing the transplant production system, the SSF has more than it can already incorporate into its existing management.

That being said, once the system is up and running, we’d love to showcase this to any number of relevant parties and incorporate the data into any Zero Waste policy the campus has. As well as any other sustainability metrics the campus tracks.

E-Cyclemania

On March 18th from 2pm to 6pm the Urbana-Champaign Campus will host an e-waste collection event as part of Recyclemania, a national competition to minimize waste and reduce the amount of material going to landfill.  On that date there will be three collection sites including the Allen Hall turn-around, Ikenberry Commons at Euclid Avenue, and a vehicle drop-off behind the ISTC Building in the research park. Personal electronics will be accepted free of charge including anything that has a plug or runs on batteries.  However the event can’t accept university owned inventory.  

In an effort to reduce traffic congestion that is sometimes created by such an event, volunteers will help pick material using bicycles and carts (E-cyclers).  Buildings participating in the event can begin collecting e-waste on the morning of March 18th.  The E-cyclers will pick up that material and transport it to one of the collection sites.  E-waste that is too heavy to transport by cart should be delivered to the ISTC vehicle drop-off.

All e-waste collected will be recycled by a vendor that is R2 and E-steward certified.  Weight of the material collected will be reported as part of the national Recyclemania competition.  Additional information can be found here.

View the facebook page here.

If you have questions about the event or would like to volunteer, please contact Bart Bartels atbbartel@illinois.edu or 217-244-7572.