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Projects Updates for place: Jonathan Baldwin Turner Hall

  3. 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

  4. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. Freezer Challenge update and encouraged to register

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge
     
    Click here to see this online
     
     
     
     


    Hello everyone and Thank You to the many labs already registered!

    The International Freezer Challenge is in full swing with an EXTENDED deadline thru JUNE 15th. 
    Approximately 25 labs have registered to participate in the Freezer Challenge. Reaching our goal of 50 labs participating will put the university in contention for first place in the academic organization category. Regardless, participation represents your commitment to environmental stewardship and supports the University of Illinois in reflecting our world-class standing.

       All actions taken during the past school year are eligible for points and can be added to your score card

    The Eco-Olympics student group is supporting the University of Illinois’ participation in the International Freezer Challenge and is pleased to provide the following awards.

    The top (4) four Labs scoring the highest points during the competition will WIN $50 gift certificates to Silvercreek, Nando Milano’s or Biaggi’s restaurants.

    Random drawings will be held giving away:
                4- $25 Gift certificates to Silvercreek
            4- $20 gift certificates to Courier Café
            25-Coupons for free drinks at Espresso Royale
            10-Coupons for free shake drinks at Courier Café

    A HUGE Thank You to everyone for making these awards possible!
                You can reach the Eco-Olympics team via email: ecoolympics@gmail.com

    The main take away is that by utilizing best practices in sample management and storage, our labs increase their efficiency and sustainability.

    For more information contact Paul Foote @ gfoote2@illinois.edu
    or visit: https://www.freezerchallenge.org/ or Freezer Challenge on the iCAP Portal
    		 
     
     
     
     
     

  10. Freezer Challenge reminder email

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge

    Hello everyone, The International Freezer Challenge is in full swing thru April 30th. Help the University of Illinois compete while receiving recognition, and a certificate of leadership in Environmental Stewardship.
    Registering to participate in the Freezer Challenge is a fun way to stay up-to-date with the latest in sample management, receive recognition for your efforts, and have fun while helping the University of Illinois maintain our world-class standing.
    Take 20 sec's Register today!
    All lab practices since May 2017 are eligible for points and can be added to your score card.

    Benefits Webinars, Best Practices and Resources

    • Reducing energy consumption, costs, and environmental impact of the lab
    • Learning and applying proper cold storage maintenance techniques to help avoid future failures
    • Removing unneeded or unviable samples from cold storage units, allowing space to be consolidated or eliminated.
    • Reducing costs associated with maintaining extraneous cold storage units.
    • Improving researcher access to and security for viable samples.
    • Developing ongoing cold storage management practices that support efficiency and maximize lab space utility.
    • Awards & National recognition at the I2SL conference for the winning labs in each category

    Increasing grant eligibility is another benefit according to How going green can raise cash for your lab a Nature International Journal of Science article, this quote shares an interesting perspective; Ramirez-Aguilar argues that implementing energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable lab practices can be a smart way for researchers to make their grants stand out. It might seem a small detail, but having such procedures in place could make all the difference to the success of your application. “If it makes your proposal look better,” she says, “you’re more likely to get funding.”

    For more information contact Paul Foote @ gfoote2@illinois.edu F&S Energy Services

  12. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

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

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Morgan and I spent a chunk of time together this afternoon so she could catch me up on our latest efforts with the baler feasibility study, styrofoam recycling, glass recycling, and glove recycling. Activity from the past week is as follows: 

    • Morgan showed me some web tool resources that will enable me to finish out the glove recycling section of the iCAP portal.
    • I reached out to the Sustainable Student Farm and another local farmer to see if they can use the coffee grounds that the campus Starbuck’s is making available. Morgan and I speculated on whether some of the other coffee shop vendors might be interested in a similar setup. If we have some success with Starbuck’s I will follow up with Illini Union Vending. 
    • I talked to Carly Rizor at UIC about their experience with the Big Belly bins—and the costs. I shared information verbally with Morgan today. She had a few more questions for me to follow up on, so I will write up notes once I get the additional information. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  13. Freezer Challenge, 2018 International- Launch email

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge
     
     

    U of I Campus Labs Encouraged to Join
    2018 International Freezer Challenge


    Members of iSEE’s Energy Conservation & Building Standards Sustainability Working Advisory Team (ECBS SWATeam) invite U of I labs of all shapes and sizes to register for the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge, which uses friendly competition to optimize sustainability of freezer management in laboratories.

    Any type of laboratory is eligible to participate by working at its own pace to implement optimal cold storage management practices that save energy. Participating labs from the Illinois campus will receive certificates of Leadership and Environmental Stewardship in Sustainable Laboratory Practices along with special recognition from iSEE at the annual Sustainability Week Celebration and find themselves one-step ahead toward Green Lab certification, a proposed program being discussed on campus and at iSEE. The competition awards include individual lab awards, organization awards and a picture in Nature!

    Results from last year’s winners:

    The organizational winners of the Freezer Challenge were:

    • University of California San Diego
    • Eli Lilly and Company
    • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
      UC San Diego saved an estimated 500,000 kWh/year, Lilly saved an estimated 130,400 kWh/year, the CDC saved an estimated 367,400 kWh/year, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center saved an estimated 25,000 kWh/year.


    The individual laboratory winners were: 

    • The Hoekstra Lab from Harvard University
    • The Baker Lab from Eli Lilly and Company
    • The Elemental Analysis Laboratory from the CDCP
      The Hoekstra Lab saved an estimated 13,000 kWh/year, the Baker Lab saved an estimated 34,000 kWh/year, and the Elemental Analysis Laboratory saved an estimated 64,500 kWh/year.

    Visit the iCAP Portal for more information on last year’s event
    Registration is ongoing through April 30th 2018 More details can be found on the competition website >>>

    Registration is quick and you participate anytime throughout the semester!

    Partial promotional support provided by the UIUC Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Questions can be sent to
    Paul Foote, email: fandsgfoote2@mx.uillinois.edu
    U of I, Freezer Challenge Site Coordinator
    University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
    Facilities and Services, Utilities and Energy Services
    Energy Conservation and Retro-commissioning
    		 
     
     
     
     
     

     

  15. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

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

    Hi Tracy—

    Here are my updates on zero-waste activities from the past week: 

    • I updated the information on glass recycling on the iCAP Portal page.
    • I drafted instructions for units that would like glass recycling pick-up from Housing; they are with Morgan and Housing for review.
    • Although no new changes have been made to the battery recycling program, there was quite a bit of correspondence about it during the past week.
    • I participated in some correspondence about the best way to wind down the Styrecycle program and transition to decentralized EPS recycling.
    • Anna Barnes notified me the previous week that she has time available to work on glove recycling materials, so I re-sent drafts of content I had developed. 

    While I’m on this email, I have a question for you that came up in my work on glass recycling. You told me a while back that campus units can purchase blue desk-side recycling bins through Central Stores. I’ve been trying to reach Marcy Wright at Purchasing to see if the larger indoor bins and outdoor toters/bins should be purchased through iBuy. Do you have information on that question? I tried to get in and look through iBuy catalogs on my own, but I wasn’t able to find a way to do so; I think it may require an iBuy login, which I wouldn’t be eligible for, given that I don’t have any purchasing responsibilities of my own. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  16. FY17 ECIP award winners announced

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Occupant Action Category

    % Improvement

    Incentive Award
    1. Foellinger Auditorium 41.0% $61,994
    2. Natural Resources Building 21.0% $38,543
    3. 1207 W. Oregon 19.4% $15,677
    4. Agricultural Engineering Sciences
        Building    		 13.6% $12,986

    Energy Advancement Category

    % Improvement

    Incentive Award
    1. Early Child Development
        Laboratory    		 25.2% $10,000*
    2. Administrative Information Technology
        Services Building    		 24.1% $10,000*
    3. Astronomy Building 23.4% $10,000*
    4. ACES Library, Information &
        Alumni Center    		 23.2% $10,000*

     

  18. iWG meeting minutes October 27, 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Green Lab Program
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Topical iCAP Teams
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Agriculture, Land Use, Food, and Sequestration (ALUFS) SWATeam

    see file

    Attached Files: 

  20. EPS recycling at Dart; Departments to arrange transportation of materials

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

    In July 2017, the vendor with whom the UIUC campus had partnered for EPS recycling was purchased by another vendor that was not able to continue the partnership. Central funding for transporting EPS to drop-off locations ended. Departments that had been participating in the Styrecycle program will be notified of the changed circumstances and will be encouraged to arrange their own transporation of EPS to the drop-off location at Dart Container, 1505 E. Main St., Urbana. There is no charge to drop off EPS at Dart. F&S is exploring options to provide an EPS recycling location on campus.

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