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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. F&S meets with North American to discuss green cleaning practices

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Cleaning Products and Practices

    Good morning Eric, Molly, and Zach,

     

    I hope this message finds your team well. I wanted to follow up with you after the presentation from last week and make sure that you have my contact information going forward, since I joined the Facilities & Services team so recently. I was very excited to see the zero waste pillar included in so many of the solutions you presented, especially regarding the green cleaning chemicals.

     

    One of the projects that the F&S waste management interns and I have been working on the past few weeks is finding chemical alternatives for all the cleaning products that BSWs currently use that would satisfy the requirements for WELL and LEED certifications. This has proven to be challenging, as no single brand we researched had a comprehensive program to address all our needs. After hearing about the WAXIE green cleaning program, I am interested in continuing the conversation about this! I’d love to learn more about what products North American would recommend for the university.

     

    Thank you,

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    ZERO WASTE COORDINATOR
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu

     

     

    Thank you Daphne for your email, and it was great meeting you last week!

     

    Pete and Macie made it very apparent how important Zero Waste is to the university, so I am sure you have the university’s complete support in your efforts.

     

    I was telling Macie in a separate email chain that I am working on next steps with CIF, Can Liners, Robotics, and we can also continue the chemical conversation as it relates to Waxie Solsta.

     

    I am attaching a product sheet that shares which solutions the system has that are third party registered and what those certifications are (review pages 28-29). These are just the products that are in the dilution control system, which means they would do 90% of the daily cleaning for the buildings.

     

    When we come down next week, we can dive in a little deeper and develop a list of chemicals to trial.

     

    Thank you everyone!

    Zach

     


     

    Attached Files: 

  3. ZW007 Composting Strategies - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    iSEE Director, Madhu Khanna, responded in favor of the ZW007 Composting Strategies recommendation with the following message:

    ================

    Dear Morgan and Jen

    iSEE is very supportive of discussing composting program expansion opportunities and we appreciate the submittal of this recommendation. We have established and supported the implementation of several compost tumblers on campus and participate in a Sustainable Land Management Committee to work on identifying potential compost opportunities at South Farms. This committee is currently working on establishing an outlet for composting manure with the intent of expanding to include campuswide organic waste, excluding the waste from Dining Halls as they already divert their organic waste through Grind2Energy Systems.

    We have now had time to discuss the recommendation below in more detail. In the near term, we have initiated conversations to pilot a program between the Union and Urbana Landscape Recycling Center to assess demand and logistical details needed to support such a program. Many of the individuals included on the proposed committee membership list are included in these discussions, and progress will be continuously reported on the iCAP Portal. As you recommended, we are gathering these stakeholders to discuss composting.  Because it is a large and complex issue, we are taking a less structured approach than a formal committee. We will reassess the launch of such a group as we move forward with the Union pilot project. Thank you again for your dedication to campus waste diversion.

    Best wishes,
    Madhu

    ================

    See the iWG assessment and transmittal of ZW007 Composting Strategies here. 
    See the submittal of ZW007 Composting Strategies here.

    For future updates, please refer to the Large-Scale Food Waste Composting  project.

  5. ACES Study Abroad Carbon Offset Program Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program
    Offset Emissions from Plane Trips

    Meredith Moore and Tyler Swanson of iSEE met with Alicia Freter of the ACES Study Abroad office on August 31st to discuss options for developing a carbon offset program for students studying abroad in the college of ACES. 

    Highlights from the conversation include beginning the program by having students volunteer for iSEE in lieu of purchasing carbon offsets. Providing students studying abroad with Eco-Ambassador training was also discussed, with the idea that trained Eco-Ambassadors could lead iSEE sponsored events. The most equitable way to offset carbon emissions is still being discussed.

     

    Attached Files: 

  6. iSEE Green Event Certification

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

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

    • University of Illinois Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration — Certified September 2022
    • Chancellor’s Office for Special Events & Commencement University of Johannesburg Dinner — Certified September 2022
    • Office of the Chancellor – Special Events/Commencement Seitu Jones/Washington Carver Project Dinner — Certified September 2022
    • Office of the Chancellor for Special Events MSI Alliance Dinner — Certified September 2022
    • Chancellor’s Office for Special Events Farewell Reception for Provost Cangellaris — Certified September 2022
    • Office of the Provost Orientation for New Academic Leaders — Certified September 2022
    • Office of the Provost Illinois New Faculty Orientation (INFO) — Certified September 2022
    • Chancellor’s Office for Special Events Chancellor’s Distinguished Staff Awards — Certified September 2022
    • Chancellor’s Office for Special Events Illinois vs. Wyoming Football Pregame Event — Certified September 2022
    • Chancellor’s Office for Special Events Shield Appreciation Event — Certified September 2022
    • Parkland College Cobra Carnival — Certified May 2022

    Keep up the great work!

  8. Resilience iCAP Team September 2022 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Urban Biodiversity Master Plan
    Rainwater Management Plans
    Environmental Justice Plan
    Local Sustainability Issues
    Green Jobs
    Vision Zero
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program

    The Resilience iCAP Team had its first online meeting of the year on Friday, September 9th from 2:00 - 3:00 PM. The team reviewed the Resilience Charge Letter, talked about ground rules of the team, reviewed seven Resilience iCAP objectives, and shared updates on each objective. Meeting minutes and ground rules documents are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  9. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - September 9, 2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Michael's updates to the iCAP Portal:

    • Project Creation/Update page: added checkboxes for "Make ____ field collapsible" for each textarea (Description, Background, Conclusion)
    • Project page: added a fallback message when there’s no content in the center column so the right-hand sidebar doesn't show up in the middle (e.g. Reduce Emissions from Travel)
    • Project Header Layout (e.g. LEED Certification project): added padding below header image
    • Theme pages (e.g. Energy theme page)
      • Added padding between Project Hierarchy & Other Projects
      • Moved to live site
    • Set "Standard Project Layout" for all projects w/o a Project Layout already set
    • Started work on advanced project search, see Project Search (DEV)

    TODOs:

    • Theme pages (e.g. Energy theme page): make description collapsible (may not want this any more - TBD)
    • Theme pages (e.g. Land and Water theme page): can we put a max height on the images so portrait images aren't enormous?
    • Projects Updates page: make search tips collapsible and put them after fields
    • Project Search (DEV): order of search fields should match table columns
    • Discuss metrics at next meeting
      • Metrics with lots of data
      • Outdated metrics
      • Fun with math (e.g. combining multiple metrics)
    • Show the recent project history of the project Associated with an iCAP Objective on that Objective’s page
    • Review the look of the related files on the Fancy Project Page layout at our next meeting. Right now, it looks like this:
      Screenshot of Related Files and Related Files (Private) listing from a project using Fancy Project Layout

  10. iCAP Team Priority Areas 2022-2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS)
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Energy iCAP Team
    Education iCAP Team
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team

    The following email was sent to the iCAP Teams:

    Hello iCAP Teams,

    Thank you again for serving on these important campus sustainability committees, and for your commitment to helping the university achieve the objectives in the Illinois Climate Action Plan.  As promised in the charge letters you received, we are attaching the Key Priorities Document here.  The attached document includes a section for each iCAP Team, with two parts in each section: Priority areas and in progress iCAP Portal projects.

    1. Priority Areas

    In order to help our campus move from STARS Gold to STARS Platinum, we have identified priority areas where our university can potentially improve. iSEE’s summer intern Tyler evaluated the latest UIUC STARS report and identified example case studies from STARS Platinum schools.  Tyler’s report is online at “Report on Improving UIUC STARS Score.” The priority areas also include topics for potential recommendations that have been brought up in previous discussions with the campus sustainability teams.  One example of this is the current efforts to reduce plastic waste on campus.

    Many prior iCAP team members have expressed a desire for guidance on appropriate topics for recommendations, so we are providing this guidance to assist your team with focus areas for development of recommendations.  We encourage you to investigate these ideas with gusto; reach out to people at other schools to learn more about the ideas and contact people on our campus who would have a stake in the project (“stakeholders”) to understand how it could fit into our campus. You should also review the recommendation template to see the information that needs to be completed when you submit a recommendation to the iCAP Working Group. 

    1. In progress iCAP Portal projects

    The iCAP Portal has over 900 projects and contains information about our campus sustainability efforts, going back as far as 2003. The information is primarily entered by members of the iCAP Teams, the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC), and a few volunteers.  We are requesting your assistance to get updates on some of the projects that are listed as “In Progress.”  For each of the projects listed in the attached file, please answer the following questions:

    • Who is the current contact person? The project records on the iCAP Portal may provide past contacts, and your team members may have relevant information.
    • Is the project completed? If not, what is the current status of the effort?
    • What changes are needed on the iCAP Portal project page content? Pictures would be particularly nice to be able to share on the Portal.

    We are very excited about this coming year, and we want to support you in any way necessary.  Please reach out to any of us at any time.

    Thank you,

    Morgan, Jen, and Meredith

    Attached Files: 

  12. archived info - previous project description and background

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project

    Project Description

    The Illini Energy Dashboard provides clearly visible understandable information data and information to students and staff of selected University buildings describing energy consumption rate (electrical, chilled water and steam) so that users can make educated choices about the way they can affect energy consumption and conservation. The biggest challenge in successfully creating a campus-wide goal of energy reduction is being able to evoke a behavioral change resulting in energy conservation and sustainability efforts. This project aims to achieve such a change by showing energy consumers at the University how they're consuming energy in a clear way.

    The Energy Dashboard Project is a multi-part project that includes implementation of a website, connection of existing real-time energy meters, and installations of additional real-time energy meters throughout campus.  With support from the Student Sustainability Committee, this project funded the purchase of the website module for the campus' energy data historian program, through Insight.  F&S staff oversaw the implementation of the module, and ECI staff developed the look and reference content of the site.  The website went live in early 2012, and existing real-time meters have been connected.  At this time, additional metering is underway.

    Project Background

    The conversion factors used in the dashboard display are:

    •     Average US Household: 901 kWh/month, 30.03 kWh/day
    •     CFL light bulb: 15 watts, 360 Wh/day, 0.360 kWh/day
    •     Refrigerator: 180 watts, 4320 Wh/day, 4.320 kWh/day
    •     22" LED TV: 30 watts, 720 Wh/day, 0.720 kWh/day

    Previous Related File is attached

    Attached Files: 

  13. ZW007 Composting Strategies - Transmitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting

    Following review by the iCAP Working Group, the iWG recommends that the ZW007 Composting Strategies recommendation be transmitted to iSEE:

    "Because these discussions are at the beginning stages in various formats and topics, the iWG recommends that iSEE collaborate with the Zero Waste iCAP Team to plan and host a discussion/symposium/workshop in FY23 to share knowledge about composting programs, efforts, and strategies for campus and the community. A review of known solutions from other places and an assessment of anticipated costs for composting strategies should be included, and include presentations from experts on best practices."

    See the submittal of ZW007 Composting Strategies here.

    Attached Files: 

  15. iCAP Team Charge Letters 2022-2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Energy iCAP Team
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Education iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team

    iSEE Director, Madhu Khanna, sent out the seven iCAP Team charge letters for the 2022-2023 academic year (attached). 

    "Thank you once again for your service in helping to make the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign a more sustainable campus. Attached is your charge letter for the 2022-2023 academic year with an outline of your campus sustainability duties as part of the iCAP Team. We look forward to your positive and impactful contributions."

    Attached Files: 

  17. Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Supporting Member

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Increase Recycling Rates

    In Spring of 2022, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign became a Supporting Member for the Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC).

    As an Advisory Member, we are invited to:

     

    • Submit articles for the Email Bulletin.  
    • Submit blogs – which will be advertised on social media.
    • Participate in four substantive committees:
      • glass markets
      • regional recycling markets
      • bottle bills
      • diversity, equity and inclusion
    • Participate in Projects or Initiatives:
    Attached Files: 

  20. Education iCAP Team September 2022 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Broaden Sustainability Education
    Sustainability at Career Fairs
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)
    Sustainability Internship Program
    Graduate Certificate in Sustainability

    The Education iCAP team had a hybrid meeting from 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 PM on Monday, August 29th. The team reviewed the Education iCAP objectives, shared project updates, and brainstormed new action ideas for this semester. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

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