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Projects Updates for theme: Engagement

  1. Award Ceremony Invitation

    Associated Project(s): 
    ReImagine Our Future

    Below is an email invitation to award ceremony for the Reimagine our Future student sustainability competition.

     

    Dear Initial Judges and Specialist Advisors,

     

    Thank you so much for your work making this competition possible. I have received submissions on the questionnaire from many of you judges, and clearly, you spent time assessing these students' work and it is much appreciated. Many of you also sat down with students and aided them on their projects. In whatever capacity you were able to help, my advisory committee and colleagues are so appreciative.

    This year the competition was managed by the Student Sustainability Committee and supported by many units across campus. Over 70 UIUC faculty volunteered their services as specialist advisors and judges. Almost 200 students took part including student teams from universities in China and South Africa. Winners will be announced after Saturday’s presentations and the prize money totals $5000. 

    You are welcome to attend the face-to-face award ceremony at the Siebel Center for Design, in which case you should contact my email (aecruz2@illinois.edu) before Wednesday 30 Nov. at 2 p.m. If you cannot attend the physical event, you are welcome to join via Zoom, with details given below. 

    I am also attaching extracts of the top-three winners' entries from last year's competition for your viewing. 

    Thank you again, 

    Allie Cruz 

    Award Ceremony for the 2022 Reimagine our Future student sustainability competition 

    9 a.m. (Central Time) | Saturday, Dec. 3 | Siebel Center for Design, and Zoom 

    Join via Zoom: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/85346452110?pwd=TzhWSHdMZXJpVmNobGtncUYzd0t0dz09 

    Meeting ID: 853 4645 2110 

    Password: 186469 


     

     

  2. Sustainability Sub-Council Meeting Minutes 11-17-22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Council
    Include iCAP in Strategic Plan
    Clean Energy Plan

    The Sustainability Sub-Council met on Thursday, November 17 and discussed the following agenda. 

    1) Zero waste
    2) Energy planning
    3) Campus Strategic Plan
    4) Old business
    a. Sustainability General Education requirement
    b. Sustainable land management committee report

    The meeting minutes and PowerPoint presentation are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  3. Zero Waste Basketball Game Follow-up 11-16-22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola
    America Recycles Day
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)

    Thank you for volunteering for the inaugural Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste event on 11/14! You were among more than 45 other student volunteers who helped initiate recycling within State Farm Center! The community-level work you have done to raise awareness for sustainability has helped us strengthen our relationship with Athletics and the fans who attended the game.

    During this event, you helped divert 280 pounds of recyclable material away from the landfill! In total, roughly 11% of the materials consumed at this event were diverted away from the landfill. With this being our very first event, this is something to be extremely proud of. We can only go up from here!

    Make sure to check out the video highlight reel that the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) produced. Did you take any photos of your own during the event? Please upload them to our shared Google Drive folder!

    Are you interested in joining other sustainability initiatives on campus?

    • Join the Zero Waste Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) Team or browse through the other 6 teams.
    • Sign the Use the Bin pledge and commit to always using the recycling bin. We’re working towards our 10,000-signature goal!
    • Sign up for iSEE’s final Illini Lights Out event this semester on 12/2.
    • Sign up for iSEE’s upcoming TED Talk discussion on 12/5 to learn about healthy soils.

    Thank you again for volunteering your time. Please reach out with any questions, feedback, or ideas for future events.

    Sincerely,
    Daphne Hulse

  4. Sustainability Council revision to energy slides

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Council

    Below is an email exchange between Morgan White and Karl Helmink:

    Hi folks,

     

    I’ve revised the energy slides for the sub-council meeting next week, per discussion with Jen and Madhu (and a quick check in with Rob).  Please see attached and let me know if the energy slides look good to you.

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

    ---------------------------------

    Morgan,

     

    Looks good.  I’d suggest that we need to get more proactive about campus space items.  We need to know where we have underutilized space like on the South end of Freer, Plant Sciences building, NRSA Annex greenhouse, ..etc. This probably exists more so on the South end of campus.  It would be nice for departments to let us know where fume hoods are no longer needed when faculty retire ..etc.   Departments tend to hang onto to space, generally speaking,  for just in case future events or faculty hires.   What about the new budget model??   This probably needs to be discussed more.  

     

     

    Thanks,

     

    Karl

  5. New iSEE Greener Campus Programs Certifications

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

    Congratulations to the newest recipients of our Greener Campus Programs!

    Green Chapter: 

    Phi Delta Theta, Silver, Certified November 2022

     

    Green Office: 

    iSEE, Gold, Recertified October 2022

    F&S Capital Programs, Gold, Recertified November 2022

    International Student & Scholar Services, Gold, Recertified November 2022

     

    Green Event:

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement Illinois v. Eastern Illinois Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Office of the Chancellor for Special Events and Commencement Illinois vs. Kansas City Men's Basketball, Certified November 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events Il. v. Purdue Men's Football, Certified November 2022

    Keep up the great work!

  6. Zero Waste Basketball Game on 11/14/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    America Recycles Day
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola

    Support Fighting Illini Basketball and fight waste!

    DIA, iSEE, and F&S are working together to hold a zero-waste Illini men's basketball game Monday, Nov. 14, in honor of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15!

    Fans can help the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign meet its zero-waste goals by using recycling bins for drink containers and other recyclables to keep them out of the landfill!

    For more information --> https://fs.illinois.edu/serv…/waste-management-and-recycling

    See the graphic on social media here: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 

  7. TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series - America Recycles Day on 11/15/22!

    Associated Project(s): 
    America Recycles Day
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series [ARCHIVED]
    Zero Waste Outreach & Presentations

    Join us for iSEE's November TED Talk: Eco-Edition event in celebration of America Recycles Day! F&S Zero Waste Coordinator, Daphne Hulse, and Waste Management intern, Shreya Mahajan, will host the discussion on zero waste initiatives and its significance.

    Participants will view a prerecorded TED Talk followed by a guided discussion and roundtable conversation. The TED Talk: Eco-Edition series is designed to unite campus and community members for a passionate, respectful, and thought-provoking dialogue about a certain aspect of sustainability. No preparation is necessary and all are welcome to this event!

    Sign up here to learn, discuss, and connect with peers in a casual, social setting. Grab your favorite snack and get comfortable! Topics and hosts vary each month.

    Nov 15, 2022 07:00 PM

    Attached Files: 

  9. Zero Waste iCAP Meeting 11/7/2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) Climate Action Plan
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)
    Food Waste Reduction
    Increase Recycling Rates
    Project4less
    Zero Waste iCAP Team

    On November 7th, the Zero Waste iCAP team met to discuss DIA sustainability initiatives with Tim Knox and made edits on the Project 4 Less expansion recommendation to be submitted in the coming month(s). 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Plastic Reduction Challenge Final Results

    Associated Project(s): 
    Plastic Free Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

    Hello!

    Once again, congratulations on completing the Plastic Reduction Challenge. We are proud of you for taking the steps to become more conscious of your waste and dedicating your time to reflect on and change these habits. 

    As a group, we decreased our average plastic waste by over 200%! Our Week 4 point total for the group was 7.7 points, a positive score reflecting many, many positive actions in addition to plastic avoidance. One participant decreased their waste by more than 400%, while others had positive point totals throughout the entire challenge. These accomplishments, among others, are incredibly impressive!

    If you submitted a Google form anytime throughout the challenge, please keep an eye on your inbox for a certificate of completion for the Plastic Reduction Challenge. As mentioned many times throughout the challenge, we hope you consider checking out the Waste Reduction @ Illinois Facebook group to stay connected with fellow participants, start a discussion, hear about the latest sustainability opportunities at U of I and beyond, and share tips for living sustainably going forward.

    This morning, we used a random name generator to choose three winners of the challenge. As a reminder, you received one entry for every week you participated in the challenge. The winners are Olivia Cloat, Janet Jarvis, and Susan Krusemark! Winners, we will contact you on how to receive your prize! Congratulations to you three and, of course, to all participants! We hope you enjoyed your time during the challenge! We sure did!

    Again, we offer our congratulations to each of you for completing this challenge. We know it was time-intensive and not always easy, but it was certainly worth it. Being an environmental hero does not have to be changing the world with a single action. You are an environmental hero by reducing your own environmental footprint and helping others do the same. Write to your politicians, store managers, or leaders, and encourage them to prioritize sustainability. Show that there is a demand for these initiatives. Building a culture of sustainability on our campus and in our world starts with you!

    Looking for a place to start (or should we say continue this great momentum)?

    • Join the Zero-Waste iCAP Team or another iCAP team of your interest.

    • If you ever find yourself using plastic, sign the Use The Bin pledge to vow you’ll always recycle. 

    • Celebrate America Recycles Day by joining the TED Talk Discussion on November 15th. Register here!

    As always, please reach out to us with any questions, comments, or feedback, and stay tuned for more exciting events in the future. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

     

    Take care!

    Meredith Moore, iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager

    Emily Dickett and Jenna Schaeder, iSEE Sustainability Interns

  12. Post-Challenge Sunday Email - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    Plastic Free Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

    Good afternoon,

    Congratulations on completing the Plastic Reduction Challenge!! You should be incredibly proud of yourself for your dedication this past month. We hope this challenge revealed some of your personal waste habits and prompted you to think about actions you can incorporate into your lives (and encourage others, too!) to decrease your personal environmental footprint. Please don’t forget to share what you learned this past month with friends, family, and peers. Keep up the momentum!

    If you have not already, be sure to submit your Week 4 Google Form by Monday, 10/31. As mentioned last week, we will reach out to you one last time on Thursday with some exciting announcements: the raffle winners and statistics on how we did as a group reducing our plastic waste over the past month.

    We hope you continue to keep in touch with us and reach out with any questions or comments; we always love talking about sustainability and would be thrilled to discuss with you further! 

    Thank you, happy almost Halloween, and talk to you on Thursday.

    Meredith Moore, iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager

    Emily Dickett and Jenna Schaefer, iSEE Sustainability Interns 

  13. New iSEE Green Event Certifications

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

    Congratulations to the Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement for their recent Green Event Certifications! 

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement State of the University, Certified October 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement Chancellor's Medallion Presentation and Reception, Certified October 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement Strategic Planning Summit, Certified October 2022

    Chancellor's Office for Special Events and Commencement Illinois v. Quincy (Exh.) Men’s Basketball, Certified October 2022

    Keep up the great work!

  14. TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series - Campus Sustainability Month 10/26/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series [ARCHIVED]
    Campus Sustainability Month

    The October - Campus Sustainability Month TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series event was held on 10/26/22. Lucy Nifong led a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion around the topic of “climate action needs new frontline leadership.” For those that could not make it, I attached her PowerPoint presentation and hope you take the time to watch the TED Talk by Ozawa Bineshi Albert. After our conversations this evening, I feel motivated to keep writing our legislators and lead by example. We all have the power to make a difference! Be sure to check out Lucy’s Op-Ed: Students Must Get out the Vote So We Can Break the “Midterm Curse”!

    Our next TED Talk: Eco-Edition series event will be held on Nov. 15 at 7 PM in celebration of America Recycles Day. Sign up here and I look forward to seeing you there!

     

    Attached Files: 

  15. iSEE, F&S met with GSA representatives

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)

    On October 28, Meredith Moore, Colleen Ruhter, Betsy Richardson, and Daphne Hulse met with Bradley Vogel and Matt Adler from GSA. The following was discussed:

    • Introductions
      • Betsy Richardson: works in environmental compliance with Colleen Ruhter. Their work revolves around regulations with EPA and permits. They signed up with GSA in 2019. Garrett Wong presented at the Green Infrastructure Conference, which is how UIUC became connected with GSA. They are trying to roll this out of compliance and into the world of Athletics, where it should be.
      • Colleen Ruhter: Civil engineer, background in stormwater, currently works on sanitary and drinking water projects as of late.
      • Bradley Vogel: Senior Memberships and Events representative. Bradley works with major athletic events to do waste diversion at games.
      • Matt: Works in the corporate and non-profit side of their services (ex: technological resources used to achieve goals).
      • Daphne: newest to the university, Zero Waste Coordinator.
      • Meredith: Sustainability Programs Manager at iSEE. Keen to see Athletics take initiative and want to help them achieve goals.
    • What is athletics currently doing?
      • Are they tracking waste, energy, and water use?
        • UIUC thinks we should be able to track their energy, because they are a campus operation.
        • F&S recently (July 2022) acquired responsibility to take care of the waste at all of their facilities (previously, Athletics contracted with other waste haulers for some facilities).
    • Approach Athletics with a money mindset.
      • How much could they theoretically save in costs by reducing their resource use?
    • Play to Zero platform.
    • Next steps
      • GSA will send UIUC a guide, and we can see about how to track their utilities in the meantime.
      • We should set up another meeting with GSA, especially if we can get Athletic leaders on the call. Keep the conversation going.

  16. Week 4 Check In - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    Plastic Free Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

    Good morning!

    We are feeling bittersweet that this is our last week of the Plastic Reduction Challenge. We are so grateful and impressed by each and every one of you for your participation and focus throughout this month’s challenge. There are 184 of you registered for the challenge; together, we make up an amazing community of individuals on our way to living a life with less plastic!

    Our final tip of the challenge is a guide on how to live sustainably beyond the challenge. In a few days, you will no longer have to tally your plastic items or receive emails every week to hold you accountable, reminding you to keep up the hard work. The attached guide contains tips for moving forward. We encourage you to reflect on your own. Did you discover something interesting or helpful? Did you try something new? As always, we’d love to hear and we also hope you share this knowledge with friends, family, and the Waste Reduction @ Illinois Facebook group if you choose.

    As this month-long challenge is coming to an end, we are sure you are all wondering what comes next. We will check in again on Sunday reminding everyone to submit their Week 4 Google Form. After the forms are submitted, we will raffle off three sustainability packs using a random name generator. Your name will be entered one time for each week you participated in the challenge and submitted a form, so be sure to get in your last form this weekend! Next Thursday, 11/3, we will reveal the winners and also include statistics on how we did as a group throughout the challenge.

    We will talk to you again on Sunday - finish strong and have a great rest of the week!

    Meredith Moore, iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager

    Emily Dickett and Jenna Schaefer, iSEE Sustainability Interns

    Attached Files: 

  17. Trash Cleanup 10/19/22 - Data

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Sustainability Month
    Facilitate campus-wide sustainability events

    The trash pickup on 10/19/22 was a great success, with beautiful weather and a lot of fun, too! We had more than 70 people volunteer, a record turn out. We picked up enough trash to fill an entire dumpster. Most groups helped track and characterize the waste, too. The categories and data are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Trash Cleanup 10/19/22 - Email to participants

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Sustainability Month
    Facilitate campus-wide sustainability events

    Hello!

    Thank you for attending the Campus Trash Pickup on 10/19! You were among more than 70 volunteers who helped make campus cleaner that day, a record turnout! Additionally, the data you collected about the kind of waste you found helps us characterize University of Illinois’ waste stream, so we can know what outreach we need to carry out in order to decrease waste and litter on campus.

    In just an hour and a half, we collected enough waste to fill an entire dumpster (we had to put overflow trash in blue receptacles, too)! Data highlights include more than 300 plastic straws, cups, and utensils; 225 beverage cans, 35 plastic bags, and countless cigarette butts. This is amazing!

    At the event, many of you had ideas about future trash pickups, such as adding an educational component before or after the event, and more. If you have any ideas and would like help or to collaborate, do not hesitate to reach out to this email! We can’t do this without your help!

    We took a lot of awesome photos from this event, as well. Check out this Box Folder for pictures.

    Looking for more ways to be involved in sustainability?

    Thanks again for joining us during Campus Sustainability Month’s trash clean up. Please let us know if you have any questions or ideas for future events.

    Meredith Moore, iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager

    Emily Dickett, iSEE Sustainability Intern

  19. Week 4 - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    Plastic Free Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

     

    Welcome to the final week of the Plastic Reduction Challenge! We cannot believe how quickly October is flying by and we are so grateful for your dedication to the process of tracking and reducing your plastic waste. You have one week left to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and try something new to decrease your waste! If you find that you have managed to either recycle or reuse items in your daily life, why not try something new by helping someone else or sharing a few tips with us! If you have not already, please submit your Week 3 Google Form by Monday.

    This Thursday, we will send the final tip of the challenge: how to go forward and live sustainably, even when the Plastic Reduction Challenge ends. You did not do all of this hard work to revert back to using disposable items. Now, it is time to use what you have learned and help others in their own path to waste minimalism. We encourage you to start thinking about what tips you will incorporate into your daily lives, what you still plan to work on and work toward, and everything you have learned this past month. Until then, enjoy your final week. As a group, let’s try to generate the most amount of points yet!

    Here is the Week 4 Google Form. Please submit the form by Halloween (Monday, October 31). We look forward to checking in on Thursday with information about the end of the challenge, including the prize raffle.

    Remember to reach out with questions, comments, or stories about your challenge experience. Do you have any feedback for us? Is there anything you particularly enjoyed or would like to see changed? We would love to hear.

    Have a great week and finish strong!

    Attached Files: 

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