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Projects Updates for key objective: 5.2 Reduce Landfilled Waste

  1. landscape waste composting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    The compost turner at the landscape composting site for campus Grounds is out of commission.  However, we still windrow our landscape debris and the OE's turn it with a bucket tractor the best they can. 

  2. Zero Waste Funding Agreement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This is a multi-pronged project with four areas of focus, all working toward our eventual goal of being a Zero Waste Campus.

    The largest portion of funding is going to add new recycling bins to areas north and east of the Main Quad as an expansion of the dual-bin recycling system currently used. The Main Quad bins have been very successful and this is a timely and needed expansion.

    Over the last few years, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has been conducting waste audits of certain campus buildings such as the Swanlund Administration Building and the Business Instructional Facility. The second part of this proposal is supporting building-specific solutions for each of the eight buildings that were audited. Staff from ISTC will work with building stakeholders to identify how to reduce their waste, then implement the new measures.

    Several other new waste streams, such as nitrile gloves and Styrofoam, have been added to campus’s waste diversion efforts recently. The third part of this proposal will employ student employees to conduct campuswide outreach with buildings on campus to improve participation in these new initiatives.

    Finally, a small amount of money is being set aside for education and outreach to the campus community regarding zero waste efforts. This will largely occur via social media advertisements and digital signage, and will be developed in conjunction with SSC’s own subcommittee for marketing.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Archived - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    According to the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan, the University will exceed the state local food procurement standards by making more than 30 percent of food purchases from local sources (within 100 miles) by 2015. The University will commit to a Zero Waste campus policy by 2012, a large-scale food composting project by 2012, and target an increase in the University’s waste diversion rate to 75 percent by 2020.

  5. idea for online content

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Ben McCall suggested a central repository of information about "how to deal with stuff" on our campus -- maybe a website called zerowaste.illinois.edu.  He suggested it could perhaps be a collaboration between F&S, ISTC, and iSEE.  Morgan replied with the recommend ation that we use an existing website with a short URL rather than set up a completely new one, and then get a short URL for it. 

    The current pages for our campus are the F&S Waste Management and Recycling page at http://www.fs.illinois.edu/services/waste-management-recycling, and the iCAP Portal repository page at https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/themes/procurement-waste.

    Urbana has a similar site at: http://urbanaillinois.us/residents/recycling-program-u-cycle/where-do-i-take-it.

  6. video about Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Fellow waste warriors,

    UO does cool things when it comes to the material management system. They did one of the first campus waste audits back in the early 90s and have since grown into a power house in recycling and materials management. They have a new training video. Its 50mins long, and yes that is extremely excessive. But it is a great cheat sheet to evaluate our current state and where we could go.

    Shantanu Pai



    On Thursday, September 11, 2014 11:28:32 AM UTC-5, K2 wrote:

    Here is a training video that the students just finished here at the University of Oregon.  It’s close to an hour and will be shown to all new student employees with the UO Zero Waste Program.  It’s funny and poignant while being instructive.  Way to go students of the world…..working so hard for a better life…..it’s crazy to see how hard we all work saving resources.  This video is about you too…..and we say to all of you in zero waste land-THANKS for recycling!  Zero Waste is Higher Education….

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQHQJJzldbA&feature=youtu.be&a

     

  8. Zero Waste Event at State Farm Center

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    RecycleMania
    Zero Waste Gameday Challenge Spring 2014
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    “Zero Waste” is a common term that refers to the desired outcome rather than any expectation. The goal of the Zero Waste Event at State Farm Center as stated to the SSC was to change to the habits of fans, starting with a single basketball game as part of the national Recyclemania competition. The desired outcome is for the State Farm Center to move from a single bin system to dual bin system. The new system will be accompanied with new signage for clarification.

    Attached Files: 

  9. Game Day Recycling Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste Gameday Challenge Fall 2014
    Increase Recycling Rates
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Reduce Foodwaste

    The University is participating in its first Game Day Recycling Challenge at the October 25th homecoming game against the University of Minnesota.  For the event the usual landfill bins will be replaced with 3-bin stations to separate landfill, recycling, and compost.  The materials collected will be weighed, the diversion rate calculated, and then entered into a friendly national competition.  To volunteer for this event, please email Bart Bartels at bbartel@illinois.edu.  

  10. E-Waste Collection Results

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    RecycleMania

    On March 18, 2014 was the first E-cyclemania event as part of Recyclemania at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.  57 volunteers from numerous student organizations collaborated with Champaign County Bikes.  E-waste was picked up by bike from several building drop-offs points that included Nugent Hall, Daniels Hall, Sherman Hall, The Cohen Center, Orchard Downs, The Bike Shop, and Bousfield Hall.  That material was transported on bike trailers to collection sites located at Allen Hall, Ikenberry Commons, and the ISTC Building in the research park. The event managed to fill two 26 ft. box trucks with electronics for recycling.  The weight of that material will be recorded in the national RecycleMania database.

  11. Update from Tracy Osby at the Waste Transfer Station

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    The saw dust pan at the PPSB is no longer emptied at the WTS. We are currently emptying it at the Horse and Dairy barns. It is now being diverted from the landfill. Also, the DSC staff that work here at the WTS work hours has been extended to 3:30PM provided we have work for them here to do. This way all the pans with the exception of the compactors from Dining Services and the trash from ORD will be emptied in the south bay here at the WTS.

  12. Meeting with Paradigm Energies

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Dave Thomas, Kishore Rajagopalan, and Luis Rodriguez hosted a meeting with Morgan Johnston,Tracy Osby,and ISTC staff to meet with Orval Yarger and Alan Robinson from Paradigm to discuss opportunities for waste management for campus and other Illinois businesses/organizations.

  13. Recycling e-waste, containers, and bikes on campus

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    IGBA held an e-waste recycling event on campus and in the research park.

    F&S provided recycling containers for the Illinois Marathon.

    Sustainability Staff helped the Campus Bike Project (CBP) to prep 350 old, abandoned bicycles from last year’s campus-wide cleanup in order to donate them to an organization, Working Bikes, which will refurbish the bicycles and ship them to Uganda to be donated to those in need of affordable transportation. Staff and CBP volunteers worked for over 12 hours to prep the bikes and over 4 hours to load them onto a truck to be taken to Working Bikes’ Chicago location.   The Parking Department was also involved, as the timing of the donation was critical in order to clear out Parking’s warehouse to make room for this year’s campus-wide cleanup of abandoned bicycles. 

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