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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Glass recycling for the Wounded Vets Center

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Implement Solutions for Special Recyclables

    Morgan Johnston and Marya Ryan met with Nick Osborne at the Wounded Vets’ Center on March 23 to discuss glass recycling. Anna Barnes designed a glass recycling label for use inside the Center. Ryan is following up with CRI to discuss costs, pickup schedules, and other information. Once-per-week pickup of a 96-gallon toter service is targeted to start by mid-to-late August, when new residents move into the Center. As of mid-July, a service agreement with CRI is still to be formalized and is expected in late July.

  2. High School students go on tour of Green Infrastructure at UIUC

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Infrastructure
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Green Roof on the Business Instructional Facility (BIF)

    Eliana Brown with the Water Resources Center and Morgan Johnston with F&S Sustainability provided a two hour tour on July 13, 2017 to six Illinois high school students through the NRES Research Apprenticeship program. Sites visited include the BIF green roof, the Ikenberry Commons permeable pavement, the First Street underground stormwater detention basin, the "square pond" (six-story deep hole near Locust and Springfield), the Boneyard Creek, and the stormwater murals in the College of Engineering.

  3. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Last week’s zero-waste activity was:

    • Drafting the content for a source-separation PowerPoint presentation and send it to Morgan and Anna for review/comments
    • Discussing volume estimates with CRI and getting pricing from them for glass recycling for the Wounded Vets Center

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan

    Zero Waste Coordinator

  5. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Collation of notes for source-separation PowerPoint presentation and a phone call with Anna Barnes to discuss it
    • Meeting with Dawn Aubrey at Housing to discuss the scope of their waste-reduction activity and learn their role in glass and glove recycling efforts

     

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan

    Zero Waste Coordinator

  7. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello all,

    Last week’s zero waste activity was a conference call to talk about messaging and campus presentations about source separation. The immediate plan is for me to outline a presentation this coming week.

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  9. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Answered inquiries from Fisher Scientific on progress on glove recycling; Morgan and I will touch base this coming week to get things moving on that effort again
    • Met with Morgan and Olivia Harris to discuss messaging to promote source separation
    • Contacted Dawn Aubrey to set up a meeting to discuss Housing’s role in recycling, particularly with regard to glass and gloves

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  11. Understanding spring flowers on campus

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Superintendent of Grounds, Ryan Welch, describes the difference in heat tolerance between spring and summer flowers on campus:

    "We plant the early flowers (pansies) because they provide early spring color and are one of the only annuals that prefer cooler temps and will withstand frost.  The early or cool season annuals do not like heat, so they are removed and replaced with the summer annuals.  The summer annuals will not tolerate even a light frost and should not be planted before May 1."

  12. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • An email to Morgan to pick up on issues related to glass recycling, recycling for graduate student/family housing, and presentations to promote source separation
    • Attendance at a Campus and University Recycling Coalition webinar on recycling collection logistics on campuses

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  13. Parkland College training program being considered

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Infrastructure

    While Thor Peterson was working at Parkland College as a part-time grant-funded sustainability coordinator, he shared that "Parkland is in the scoping stage of developing a green infrastrucuture and sustainable landscape operations and maintenance certificate."  He further noted, "There are a lot of questions percolating regarding a Green Infrastructure Operations and Maintenance—whether it would start as a certificate, or as a series of business training opportunities, or what." 

    When Thor was leaving town at the end of his appointment, he indicated that Heidi Leuszler, a Natural Sciences professor at Parkland, will be a good contact for this effort, moving forward.  Thor and Professor Leuszler led a day-long workshop for Regional Planning Commission staff on green infrastructure. He said, "My hope is that the training will serve as a pilot for a more in-depth business training course that could be offered to public and private sector grounds staff charged with maintaining green infrastructure elements."

    Eliana Brown, with Illinois Indiana Sea Grant, University of Illinois Extension, and Illinois Water Resources Center, is also interested in helping this program get developed.  She has brought additional stakeholders into the discussions with Parkland, including Carol Hays, Exec Director of Prairie Rivers Network, and Lisa Merrifield, U of I Extension Strategic Operation Analyst.

  14. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Tracy—

    This week, I started getting my head back in the game after my absence but did not accomplish anything substantive. I plan to go over notes and pick up the loose threads of the different projects I had been working on in the coming week. In particular, I have communications I need to make on the battery recycling and graduate student/family housing recycling efforts. 

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  16. OMA representatives review stand-alone cooling towers

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Cooling Tower and Chiller Plant Water Use

    Water Station Foreman, Shawn Young, indicated today that there are two remaining stand-alone cooling towers on campus buildings maintained by F&S: Temple Buell Hall and the Personnel Services Building.  One of these (Personnel) is scheduled to be added to the central chilled water loop in 2020, according to the Utilities Energy Production and Distribution Master Plan.  Base on that discussion, Morgan Johnston will be following up with the Water SWATeam to let them know that because there are so few remaining stand-alone cooling towers, this is not a high-priority item to pursue.

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