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  1. Redwood Materials: Daphne and Shreya meet with Seema Nilakhe for an introduction

    Associated Project(s): 
    Battery Recycling
    Rechargeable Battery Recycling
    Single-Use Battery Recycling

    On June 21, 2023 Daphne Hulse and Shreya Mahajan met with Seema Nilakhe to discuss Redwood Materials and opportunity for collaboration.

    • Introductions

      • Seema Nilakhe, originally from Chicago suburbs, attended U of I

      • Amy Fruehling was career counselor for Seema during her undergraduate years

      • Dabbling in environmental initiatives

      • Worked at Amazon for supply chain

      • Worked at Tesla

        • Infrastructure projects in North America

      • Wanted to work at start up so went to Redwood Materials

        • Lithium ion batteries

        • Based out of Reno, Nevada

        • Consumer partnerships is Seema’s role

      • Don’t take

        • Lead acid

        • Cadmium

        • Car batteries

    • Daphne notes that the batteries Redwood would be interested in would likely come from university property, which is handled by CMS/Surplus/OBFS

      • Seema can assist with looking into this process

    • Redwood process:

      • Pickup batteries with large OEMs (large car companies that make EVs)

      • Redwood picks up scrap

      • Redwood partners with Call2Recycle

      • Typically you have to pay a fee for Call2Recycle for their services (U of I may have had the service for free?)

      • Collections would be the biggest benefit for us:

        • Cell phones, laptops, smaller devices are high in cobalt and nickel and critical elements that are part of the battery

        • Larger devices would need to be checked for logistics and chemistry

        • Pricing is based on gross weight

        • Collections - don’t provide packaging but suppliers have the drums, crates, or collection mechanism to do that

        • DOT shipping guidelines (Redwood has that and can give us a sample) we have to be in compliance

        • Under 60 watt hours

        • Engineering may have drums that we could use to ship the batteries

        • Gaylords work too

      • Differences between primary and secondary batteries

        • Primaries - non-rechargables

          • Watch batteries

          • Typically lithium ion

      • Have partners which take all of the excess materials that aren’t batteries

        • Secondary - rechargeable

    Next steps:

    • CMS/Surplus - ask if they already recycle batteries, or need an outlet for it

    • Check inventory on drums and gaylords/shipping materials - Seema will send DOT guidelines

    • Event with marketing/public relations

    • Bin in the Union - how do you keep people from randomly throw items in there that are not batteries? Must be supervised

    • Stick to call2recycle for AA AAA alkaline

  3. Explained the Campus Bike Plan update project to students

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Appropriately Staff Sustainable Transportation Efforts

    Sarthak met with Hrushikesh Chavan (Master of Architecture student) and Nathaniel Nevins (Bachelors in Landscape Architecture) separately to explain the Campus Bike Plan 2024 update. These students will read up the 2014 Campus Bike Plan, the progress reports, and other documents shared with them to learn more and recommend suggestions for this new Plan.

  4. 4 new EVs and new EV charging stations installed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Decrease Emissions from UI Fleet
    Develop Scenarios for Converting the UI Fleet to Renewable Fuels
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    F&S has received 4 new Ford F-150 Lightnings all electric trucks, bringing the total to 6 Ford Lightnings and 1 Ford e-Transit cargo van for F&S fleet.

    We have also installed another level-2 Ford dual point smart chargers on the south side of PPSB and we are working on the installation on another one. We have 2 more chargers to install. The Charging Stations installations are being done using the SSC funding.

  5. Weekly update: Donations, Illini4K

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Pretty chill week overall. Great weather but not very busy. Got some donations from Champaign Cycle last Tuesday.

    One student worker that just graduated did a bike trip down the western border of Illinois last week and is headed to Iceland for another biking trip tomorrow. He bike-commutes and also did I4K. Great to see folks explore all the different ways to have fun with a bike.

    Another student worker is scaling back here as they were offered more hours at Champaign Cycle. Always good to see staff move on to bigger and better things.

    Thanks to Todd for grabbing scrap over the long weekend.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 28
    Sales: $904.42
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $360
    Memberships: 9 for $270
    Tire/tubes: 7 for $44

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  6. EV support call with Phil Krein

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

    Sarthak and Morgan met with Phil Krein to talk about the EV charging support on campus. See attached the powerpoint slides that Phil shared. Following are some talking points:

    • Include Phil Krein to the EV steering committee meeting
    • Type-1 chargers – cheap and better for our campus needs
    • Schedule a meeting with only Maria, MW, and Stacey
    • Morgan will talk to Lowa about why Parking prefers Level-2 chargers
    • Talk to Utilities, which parking infrastructure is the healthiest to support the level-1 chargers and then talk to SSC if we can pilot it.

    See the meeting recording here: https://uofi.box.com/s/o462lbl362rpw9p7jvoet8cmqsgxf7x6

  8. 6-15-23 F&S investigating food truck composting in collaboration with CCES

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Food Truck Certification
    Plan for Organic Waste
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Reduce Foodwaste

    From: Carroll, Cassandra Leah <ccarrol2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2023 9:52 AM
    To: Gloss, Stacy L <sgloss@illinois.edu>; Mahajan, Shreya <shreyam6@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Compost Bin in Urbana

     

    Hi Shreya,

     

    Please also contact Susan Monte at Champaign County Environmental Stewards to collaborate on this work: smonte@ccenvstew.com

     

    Here is their website: https://www.ccenvstew.com/

     

    Cassie

     

    Cassie Carroll

    Marketing & Communications Director

    Smart Energy Design Assistance Center

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    1 St. Mary’s Road, Champaign, IL 61820

    217-300-6477

    ccarrol2@illinois.edu

  11. Meeting with Parking to discuss timeline

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    Met with Brandon, Cody, Chris, Jeremy, and Toby from the Parking department to discuss the Bicycle Roundup project and the timeline. Gave them an overview of the system that we are using (ArcGIS Field Maps) and what to look for in the maps. Informed them that we have started the tagging process and expect to finish tagging all bicycles by June 16, 2023.

    F&S TDM will tag and identify the abandoned bicycles, then Parking will remove them and transport them to the West Round Barn, and F&S TDM will inventory the bicycles. F&S TDM will organize the bicycle pick up for students in fall semester.

    Following is the expected timeline for this project:

    Start of the Tagging: 6/8/2023

    End of tagging process: 6/16/2023

    Start of the identification of abandoned bicycles: 7/5/2023

    End of the identification of abandoned bicycles:  7/10/2023

    Parking to remove abandoned bicycles (Start): 7/5/2023

    Parking to remove abandoned bicycles (End): 7/14/2023

  12. News Channel ABC20 coverage of Summer Bicycle Roundup

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    News Channel 20 reposted the F&S announcement regarding the summer bicycle roundup on June 13, 2023.

    University announces summer bicycle roundup, remove tags by June 30 to avoid impounding

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WICS) — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is reminding students about their annual summer bicycle roundup. The university's facilities and services department collects unwanted bicycles on campus after the end of the spring semester.

    All bikes left on university property will be tagged with an orange sticker that reads, 'Remove this tag by 6/30/23, or your bicycle will be removed,'" said the university's facilities and services department.

    They say any bicycle found with this sticker after June 30 will be impounded. If you currently have a bike in a campus rack, shelter, or parking location and want to keep your bike, remove the sticker to ensure it doesn't get impounded.

     

    To retrieve a bike that has been removed, you can contact bike@illinois.edu with your bike information. All recovered bikes need to be registered before being returned. Register your bike here.

     

    See the article online here: https://newschannel20.com/newsletter-daily/university-announces-summer-b...

  14. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Feast or famine over here last week. Beginning of the week we were slammed but slow n’ steady by Friday. TBP held their Members’ Meeting last Monday and I attended. Got a unicycle donated as well as a handful of bikes, including some kids bikes.

    Spent 15 minutes on the phone with a gentleman from a rural town outside Bloomington, IL looking for a bike. Really speaks to the need that we’re getting interest from an hour plus drive away. Or maybe my hyper-local bike-only travel mindset makes that distance seem more unreasonable than it is…

    I was a bit more diligent this past week about tracking non-university visits to better reflect how many folks we’re helping.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 33
    Sales: $1,285.17
    Bikes: 3 for $540
    Membership: 7 for $210
    Tires/tubes: 16 for $166.00

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  15. 6-12-23 F&S looking into local composting options for food trucks

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Food Truck Certification
    Plan for Organic Waste
    Reduce Foodwaste
    Achieve Zero Waste

    F&S is looking into local composting options for the green food truck program.

     

    From: Gloss, Stacy L <sgloss@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 2:33 PM
    To: Mahajan, Shreya <shreyam6@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Carroll, Cassandra Leah <ccarrol2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Compost Bin in Urbana

     

    Hi Shreya,

     

    Here is more information about this program.

     

    https://illinoiscomposts.org/commercial-composting-programs/champaign-county-group-receives-funding-seeks-participants-for-commercial-food-scrap-compost-pilot/

     

    Stacy

     

    From: Mahajan, Shreya <shreyam6@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023 1:57 PM
    To: Gloss, Stacy L <sgloss@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Carroll, Cassandra Leah <ccarrol2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Compost Bin in Urbana

     

    Hi Stacy,

     

    From our meeting on July 24, you mentioned that Urbana has a compost bin that is designed to take waste from commercial businesses. I was talking with my team, and it would be great if we implemented a system that collected compostable materials and food waste from food trucks. Would you happen to have more information about this site?

     

    Thanks,

    Shreya Mahajan

  16. F&S announcement - Summer Bicycle Roundup Underway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    Summer Bicycle Roundup

    Sticker Removal Required for Active Bikes

    Summer Bicycle Roundup - Remove the Orange Sticker by June 30 to Avoid Impound

    Each summer, F&S and the Parking Department identify and collect unwanted bicycles on campus after the end of the spring semester.

    All bikes left on university property will be tagged with an orange sticker that reads, "Remove this tag by 6/30/23, or your bicycle will be removed." Any bicycle still displaying the sticker after that date will be impounded. If you presently have a bike in a campus rack, shelter, or parking location, please remember to remove this sticker to ensure your bike is designated as active.

    To retrieve a bike that has been removed, contact bike@illinois.edu with your bicycle information. All recovered bicycles will need to be registered before being returned (https://bike.illinois.edu/register-your-bike/).

  17. Solar Farm 3.0 possibilities on UIUC owned land?

    Associated Project(s): 
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA

    Hi Geri and Anita,

     

    At the Sustainability Council, you said there are University-owned lands that could potentially support our Solar Farm 3.0 goals.  I think you said there is one possibility near UIS.  Is there another location, as well?

     

    I’d appreciate a description of the potential sites and locations, so we can talk with the energy consultant about those sites.

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

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

     

    The UIS farmland adjacent to that campus could be considered for a solar project.  Decisions pertaining to the development of a solar project at UIS would be done through that campus.  Our UIS contact is Chuck Coderko, Associate Vice Chancellor, Facilities and Services. There are approximately 256 total acres of which 235 are tillable acres (in crop production) managed by Ag Property Services   UIF has approximately 75 acres near the UIS campus as well.  UIF farmland is managed by Heartland Bank. 

    From my email exchange with Chuck, “several discussions with Springfield’s City Water Light & Power (CWLP), the sole provider of UIS’s electricity, who owns the lines/power grid. They are investing in solar in other areas of Illinois, and after several meetings, proposed ideas, etc., it appears they are not interested in what UIS would offer, and we would be on our own. But the city’s leadership changed a couple of months ago, and future opportunities may exist. Without CWLP or another partner, we would be generating electricity for the campus. We would also like to include other potential entities we could provide power to (Lincoln Land Community College, etc.), but we haven’t gotten that far.  We are looking for opportunities. As we currently stand, working through a P3 or Energy Service Company would be our most likely scenario, but much feasibility research will need to be done. UIS can’t bank a solar farm alone, and I am leery of levying a multi-million dollar debt on the university.”

     

    Ag Property Services manages farmland for the College of Engineering:

    Reifsteck Farm is located in Champaign County.  There are approximately 247 total acres of which 210 are tillable.  There are research projects on a portion the non-tillable areas. 

    VRO Farm is located in Vermilion County.  There are approximately 320 total acres of which 95 are tillable.  The farmland borders timber/woodland on two sides.  The Illinois Natural History Survey may be conducting research in the timber/woodland. 

     

    If you have additional questions, please let us know.

     

    Thank you,

    Anita Million

  19. FW: Solar Farm 3

    Associated Project(s): 
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA

    Madhu,

         I have attached a study that I did in 2020 for an on-campus Solar Farm 3, in case it is of use to you or anyone else.  The numbers have changed since 2020, of course, but it is likely that the conclusions of the study remain the same.  This study supports the comments I made to you about an on-campus Solar Farm 3 when we spoke last week.

     

                    Scott

    Attached Files: 

  20. Green Research Committe 3rd meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Research Committee
    Green Lab Program

    June 6, 2023 Green Research Committee Meeting 3

    Present: Shari Effert-Fanta, Paul Foote, Jennifer Fraterrigo, Stephanie Hess, Daphne Hulse, Tim Mies, Lisa Moore, Jeremy Neighbors, Chad Stevens, Sabrina Summers

    Absent: Mitchell Bryant, Maisie Kingren, Morgan White

    Charge 1

    • Consolidated information document, provided by Jeremy
      • Walkthrough the document
      • We should be aiming to staff a Green Research Director
        • And then staff underneath the director
          • Could be student workers or full-time employees
      • Short term goals
      • Long term goals
    • Chemical inventory - Stephanie
      • Central inventory funded by campus
      • Stuck out to Susan Martinis as an opportunity worth exploring
    • Engagement role out - Jen
      • Integrate it with the annual lab meetings with DRS staff to ensure safety compliance
        • A great point in time to evaluate opportunities with sustainability each year
        • Allows opportunity for face time with green research. Especially considering how busy PIs are
      • Lab audits - Stephanie
        • Are already quite long - DRS has a year-long timeline to get these done
        • Can sprinkle in sustainability opportunities here and can combine safety and sustainability (shut the sash)
      • Lunch & Learns are great in theory but maybe are not going to show strong attendance in practice
    • Where does this green research live? What does it tie into? - Jeremy
      • OVCRI, iSEE?
      • October timeline is best according to Susan, Madhu, and Ehab because spring is when budgeting takes place. Allows them to go and ask for funding
      • Extension is possible but the timeline for budgeting is improved if we can get it in by October
      • Chem inventory is digestible as we can save a lot of money if chemicals are better managed
        • Burden would be on the researchers to manage what comes in and out
        • Could argue for a person to do this, but Stephanie thinks it is more wise to ask campus to pursue purchasing a software and then researchers input the information
        • DRS does not have staffing or funds currently to do such a program
    • Funding Inventory software - Stephanie shared document

    Charge 2

    • Comprehensive certification program - Paul
      • My Green Lab already has an existing certification program
        • Flat rate for certifying a bulk number of labs (at Vancouver University, 50 labs certified for $10,000).
        • 160-170 topics that are over viewed
        • On a sliding scale (3 tiers)
        • Do a first round assessment and then come back in 6-12 months to reassess
        • Right now it does not extend beyond labs - not fieldwork or farms
          • Could still apply a lot of the stuff but we may need to do our own version of it for our labs
        • Need to be careful of the line between green labs and green research
          • Some labs are disadvantaged by the building itself
          • Want to be careful of not handcuffing researchers to achieve sustainability; they are doing important work
          • Think about behavior-based (recycling) rather than mechanical-based opportunities
        • Rewarding labs based on safety, too
          • Some only work with ethanol
          • Some work with 8,000 chemicals
          • May not be able to be audit-based for this reason
      • Could create our own that is more robust and custom to what we do at the university
      • Chad thinks the chemical inventory could tie into this portion well. Forcing the labs to take a look at what chemicals they have before purchasing more (if they are above the fire safety limit)
      • In Paul’s observations, PIs that are not included in the creation/design process mean very few labs will actually sign up
      • Opportunities to reward many:
        • Most occupant engaged building
        • Most improved building
        • Most energy saved building

    Charge 3

    • Really a facilities question, Tim is thinking.
    • Not on the researcher to be responsible for that
    • Funds are already strapped
    • Charge 3 is about how we prioritize funding for these.
    • Where do transportation costs fall?
      • Behavior-based changes like with carpooling
      • Cutting down airfare (zoom meetings)
      • Transportation of presenting research
        • Incentivize behaviors)
      • Electric vehicles
        • F&S sustainable transportation is tackling this topic currently - electric vehicles within the university fleet
        • Increasing charging infrastructure on campus
        • Figuring out how labs fit into this

    Homework

    • Leave comments and suggestions on the two documents presented today

     

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