You are here

Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    [This past week, there were] just a few emails, including one from the BER student volunteers. I had sent them a spreadsheet showing departments that were not yet participating in the glove recycling program but had $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases this year. They identified contacts for each department and will do some outreach when the fall semester begins. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  3. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Zero-waste activities for the past were 

    • Prepared and sent a scope and timeline request to SSC for the zero-waste projects. The request was granted, so we have one more year (through July 31, 2019) to spend the rest of the SSC funding on outdoor dual bins (geNng estimates and using remaining funds for the bins themselves)
    • Drafted a spring 2018 semester report for SSC and sent it to Morgan for review.
    • Investigated bounced email to our Kimberly-Clark contact, Jonathan McClintock. I’m seeing if he still works there and is still our contact for RightCycle. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  5. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here are the zero-waste activities for the week: Morgan, Brent Lewis, and I met with Shawn Hopkins of Bigbelly to discuss possibilities for indoor bins. 

    • I responded some emails about styrofoam recycling.
    • I participated in a CURC listserv discussion about conveyor belt sorting systems. I asked Morgan about any pictures, videos, schematics, and data we might be able to share,
    • I drafted a semesterly report and scope-and-timeline change request for the SSC funding to see if they can give us another year and if we can focus the remaining funds on replacing the outdoor bins with dual bins. Morgan has the draft to review. 
    • I responded to an inquiry from La Casa Cultural Latina about participating in the glove recycling program. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  8. Training program at Parkland

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Infrastructure
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    c6f53b60-9baa-4e99-9f49-23b5dff78b7a.jpg

     

    National Green Infrastructure Certification Program

    at Parkland College, Aug. 27-31

     

    Green infrastructure (GI) has become a critical component to comprehensive stormwater management. Successful implementation of green infrastructure requires access to adequately skilled workforce available to perform the installation, inspection, and maintenance tasks.

     

    Landscaping, city planning, public works, and stormwater managing can all benefit from the knowledge and skills to ensure that green infrastructure projects are installed and maintained properly to support long-term performance.

     

    By underscoring your competency in these areas, certification increases your competitiveness in the job market, and provides a pathway to higher paying positions.

     

    • The benefits of becoming certified by the NGICP include: Expansion of your skills and knowledge of building, inspecting and maintaining GI systems
    • Greater awareness of GI career opportunities
    • Proof of your commitment to supporting sustainable performance of GI practices
    • Exposure to employers looking to hire skilled GI workers through the NGICP Certification Database

     

     

    Course begins Aug. 27-31, 8 AM-5 PM. $975 fee only includes training. The $200 certification exam fee is paid directly to WEF. Exam will be administered on August 31. A link to register for the exam will be provided to those who register for the training.

     

    Registration Deadline: August 20

     

    Click here for more information and to register or call 217/351-2235 for more information.

     

    The training is 35-40 hours and includes approximately 25 hours of classroom time (lecture and interactive exercises) and 10 hours of field visits to green infrastructure sites. We provide a class review at the end of the training to help participants prepare for the certification exam. Participants must be in attendance for the entire class. No make-up sessions are available.

     

    While Parkland College provides the NGICP training, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) administers the certification exam. WEF will administer the certification exam at the training site on the last day of the class (Aug. 31). A link to register with WEF for the exam will be provided to those who register for this class on or by August 20, 2018.

     

    If your employer will be paying for your training, please complete this 3rd Party Sponsorship Form and return to our office prior to registration: btce@parkland.edu.

  9. 2017 Water Quality Report available

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Conservation

    The 2017 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Water Quality Report is available. The report provides information about the source of campus drinking water, contaminant testing, general health precautions, and how the calendar year 2017 sample results compare to regulatory requirements.

    The university has met all U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA drinking water quality standards.

  10. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    This past week, I 

    • Fielded email about the styrofoam recycling drop-off at Dart.
    • Updated the Styrecycle page in the iCAP portal.
    • Rescheduled a meeting with Shawn Hopkins of Big Belly, at his request. He, Morgan, Brent, and I will meet next week.
    • Reviewed my records to estimate how much time I’ve spent on bins/source separation, glove recycling, and other zero-waste activities so that Morgan and I can provide the relevant information in the final SSC report. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  12. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    [This past week,] I had a few emails with Morgan and Micah about updates to the iCAP portal page on EPS recycling and got a reply from Robert McKim on comments I’d made on a battery recycling program proposal his committee had drafted.

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  13. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Zero-waste activities last week were 

    • A review of and response to a battery recycling program/funding proposal drafted by the Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries. The Committee includes Clara Bosak-Schroeder, Ömer Özgür Çapraz, Marcus Smith, and Robert McKim.
    • Response to an inquiry about the styrofoam recycling drop-off location at DART.
    • An email to Morgan and Micah regarding content of the iCAP portal page about styrofoam recycling. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  16. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Zero waste activities for the past week were as follows: 

    • Morgan and I had a phone meeting to go over next steps on the glove recycling program, now that the trailer is planned to be relocated. We'll revise the map on the program handout once we receive confirmation of the new location.
    • I prepared a contact spreadsheet for the BER volunteers who stepped forward to help with outreach for the glove recycling program. It lists departments with $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-2018. I sent it to the volunteers, along with instructions for them to look up contact names, emails, and phone numbers for the departments. Once the trailer map is revised, we'll ask them to start calling and emailing the departments. I attach the list so you can see it. I updated the iCAP portal with the information that the volunteers will assist with outreach. 
    • I viewed a CURC webinar on bin infrastructure and forwarded slides and notes to Morgan.

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  17. Waste data from FY17

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Following is the waste data for FY17:

    Landfilled - 5,303.34 tons
    Recycled - 1,924.28 tons
     
    Recycling Breakdown
    Paper - 533.35 tons
    OCC - 597.19 tons
    Plastic - 43.89 tons 
    Metals - 749.85 tons                   
     

  18. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here is a summary of zero-waste activity from this past week: 

    • I completed a draft Architecture Review Committee proposal for replacing trash bins with dual bins in the core campus area. It is with Morgan for her comments.
    • The BER student volunteers have been in touch. Two of them are available over the summer to review the OBFS/Purchasing report of departments that purchase gloves. They will use the campus directory to identify initial contact people in the departments so that they and/or other volunteers can reach out to departments that are not yet participating in the glove recycling program. I will prepare the report for their use by deleting departments that are already participating and those that purchase only small amounts of gloves (under $2,000 for the year covered by the report). 
    • I emailed Joe Pickowitz to see if the vendors have provided parts for the EPS densifier yet. He was also making inquiries about obtaining throughput data for the machine. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  20. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Zero-waste activities this week were 

    • An update to the glove recycling page to post a PDF with instructions for participants to drop off gloves at the trailer at PPSB
    • Brief communication with Joe Pickowitz regarding the styrofoam densifier (he is waiting for parts for it so that he can collect performance data on it) 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

Pages