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Projects Updates for theme: all

  2. FY20 College Energy EIU Documents

    Associated Project(s): 
    Building-Level Energy Usage Report
    Building-Level Energy Efficiency

    Hi Tony,

     

    Could you please provide files like these, for FY21, FY22, and FY23?  This is in support of the iCAP objective https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/objectives/222-reduce-building-level-energy.

     

    Thank you,

    Morgan

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

     

    Morgan,

     

    Can you refresh my memory on how this information is distributed and utilized to support the iCAP?  Since it has been three years since we last produced the reports I am wondering if there is still value in producing these.

     

    Best,

     

    Tony

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  8. Brent Lewis approves 17 more dual bin locations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Outdoor Recycling Bin Update

    On July 18th, Brent Lewis approved 16 more sites for installation, and the site on Champaign property was approved on July 6. On September 6th, these 17 sites plus the 7 additional sites sent to earlier this summer on June 7th (the eighth site at Siebel Center for Computer Science was installed on August 1st, so it was omitted from this spreadsheet), were sent to the iron workers for a total of 24 sites.

     

    55 dual bins remain in storage and need site proposals from the zero waste team and approval from Brent Lewis.

  10. Check in meeting from September 6, 2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night
    Community Bicycle Events and Rides

    Please see attached the agenda and documents shared during this meeting. Watch the meeting recording here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QZsmvj8CXrpSFk7BlJpjw4Pvm64c0u4V/view?u...

    Attached Files: 

  11. Green rolloff for recycling arrives!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Tailgate Recycling
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    Increase Recycling through the WTS
    Campuswide Zero Waste events
    Welcome Celebration Recycling

    It's here, it's here, it's finally here. Waste Transfer Station purchased a new green rolloff container specifically for recycling. We expect to use it for tailgate recycling, welcome week, and any other event that produces an excess of recycling or would benefit from a container dedicated to recyclables.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Building Services Specialist Cleaning Program Launched This Semester

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Cleaning Products and Practices

     

     

    Group photo of building service workers involved in receiving ISSA certification in the Campus Instructional Facility lobby

     

    		  

    Before the start of the fall semester, the F&S Building Services department launched a new Specialist Cleaning Program in five high-usage campus facilities. Almost 40 BSWs underwent professional development and received training certification from the ISSA, a leading organization for the cleaning industry worldwide.

    ISSA professional development at the university will organize detailed cleaning tasks and deliver many benefits of a more systematic approach that transitions from the current zone cleaning setup, where BSWs perform all cleaning tasks within a specified area. Streamlined processes for color-coding will help eliminate the potential for cross-contamination and promote the more efficient utilization of equipment and supplies.

    The pilot buildings are the Campus Instructional Facility, Talbot Laboratory, Grainger Engineering Library Information Center, Lincoln Hall, and the Materials Science and Engineering Building. These high-usage facilities were selected based on the ability to successfully evaluate and replicate the program in other similar facilities moving forward. A list of departmental expectations is available to help further explain key aspects of this initial effort. 

    For questions about the Specialist Cleaning Program and Building Services Transformation Initiative, contact Director of Transportation & Building Services Pete Varney pvarney@illinois.edu, 217-333-7583.

     

  13. energy conservation question from CEE assistant professor

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Efforts

    Hello,

     

    I have seen a number of emails this summer when it gets really hot about energy conservation.

     

    In Newmark (NCEL), the summer time temperatures are kept to ABSURDLY low temperatures. This is absolutely stressing the electrical grid for no reason. 

     

    Graduate students keep winter coats in their offices and sometimes even use space heaters in the summer.

     

    A colleague of mine's student office in NCEL measured a temperature of 58 degrees recently.

     

    Who can we talk to about changing the thermostat? It is ridiculous when it is 100 degrees outside that we are cooling our massive building to such a degree that we need to wear long pants, long sleeves, and coats.

     

    Best,

    Hannah

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

     

    Hello All,

    FYI

    David- Here is something for the control center- in case there are some alarms or setpoints that need adjusting. 

    Morgan- Karl has shared this bldg. is in need of deferred maintenance and a large scale upgrades.

     

    Let me know if you have any thing too add when responding to Hannah?

     

    Best

    Paul Foote

  14. [WUNA-Main] Will Styrofoam recycling continue post-Dart?

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

    From Kathy's Mailbag in today's News-Gazette:

     

    “I'm wondering if Styrofoam recycling will stop when the Dart Container plant closes at the end of the year. Our community Styrofoam recycling program is one of just six in the state, with the other 5 located in the Chicago area. Will this program be saved for our community?”

    Michael Westerfield, Dart Container Corporation’s vice president for sustainability, notified the City of Champaign that the community Styrofoam recycling program hosted by Dart will remain in operation until Sept. 29.

    Nichole Millage, the City of Champaign’s environmental sustainability specialist, said at this time she is not aware of any other companies or recycling processors in the area that have the equipment (densifier) to recycle Styrofoam. “If new options become available, I will make sure folks are aware.”

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

    Hi Morgan and Scott,

     

    Could the city of Urbana or the UIUC buy Dart’s densifier and operate it for the community?

     

    Jeff

  16. 2023 Competition Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    ReImagine Our Future

    Dear Friend of the Reimagine our Future student sustainability competition,

     

    We are writing to provide a brief update about Reimagine our Future.

     

    As you know, the aim of this competition is to harness the creativity and intelligence of undergraduate students, challenging them to develop ideas and solutions that will contribute to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and encouraging them to feel empowered as engaged problem-solvers.

     

    Registration is now open for the 2023 competition, and we have some exciting developments to report.

    Students from nine participating higher education institutions can enter the competition this year either as individuals or as members of teams. (Students from any higher education institution anywhere may be on a team that enters the competition provided that team is led by a student from a participating institution.) An up-to-date list of the participating institutions is here.

    This year we added two special awards for the best submission dealing with some aspect of climate change and for the submission that went furthest in implementation.

    Also, Mike Yao, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor with appointments in the College of Media and the Gies College of Business, will serve as a mentor to the winning entrants, irrespective of their home institution, as they attempt to develop and implement their proposal.

    The important dates for the 2023 competition are available here.

    If you are an advisor on student projects, you may receive – any time between now and November 19th - a request for advice from one or more students who are planning a submission in your area of expertise or interest.

    If you are a judge, we will ask for a few hours of your time during November 20-24 to help develop the list of finalists.

    Special thanks to those who are playing both roles!

    Our list of advisors and judges includes specialists from various universities, companies, and institutions and from many backgrounds, fields, and disciplines. This broad-ranging list encourages submissions from students in many areas.  We expect to continue to add to this list.

    Thank you again for your ongoing help with this sustainability competition and for bringing your unique background, skills, professional history and more to this project. If you have advice or suggestions about any aspect of the competition, please let us know.

     

    Yours sincerely,

    Leon Liebenberg (Teaching Professor, Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, UIUC) 

    Warren Lavey (Adjunct Professor, College of Law, School of Earth, Society & Environment, and College of Medicine, UIUC) 

    Robert McKim (Emeritus Professor, Department of Religion, UIUC) 

     

    (Reimagine Our Future co-founders and coordinating committee)

  17. Monthly meeting with Morgan and Stacey

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan

    I met with Morgan and Stacey on 8/30/2023 to discuss the progress of the 2024 Campus Bike Master Plan. The major discussion was about Chapter 3: Goals and Objectives, and I will be re-organizing the goals and objectives under three key goals:

    1. Infrastructure
    2. Programming
    3. Resources

    We also discussed the soft publish date to be 5/1/2024 and a hard deadline of 6/30/2024.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Meeting notes with Ethan Garcia - Capstone project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Independent Student Projects
    2024 Campus Bike Plan

    Prepare outline for bike audit

    • how to do it
    • What will we need
    • What information do I need
    • What information are we trying to get out of this
    • How are we trying to do this 
    • What resources will we need (GIS)
    • When are we doing the audit 
    • When do we think we can finish it (number of hours, dates not necessary)
    • Condition assessments of bike rack 
    • Looking at rack itself and concrete 

     

    Re-familiarize self with stuff

     

    Black racks are ground mounted, we want bike racks on rails (gray ones)

     

    Only university owned bike racks and paths 

  20. Toner and Ink Cartridge Recycling

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Recycling Rates

    Hi Daphne,

     

    Just to confirm, this is toner and not an ink cartridge for printer. We don’t have many inkjet printers, but I don’t want to assume which one you have.

     

    Thanks,

    Brad

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

    Hi Brad,

     

    That’s correct – toner is what we are referring to! Apologies for the confusion.

     

    Thank you,
    Daphne

     --------------

    HI Daphne,

     

    The vendors we work with for recycling toner quit accepting them. Unfortunately, they have to be thrown away.

     

    Thanks,

    Brad

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

    Hi Morgan & Stephanie,

     

    Below is the response I received from Brad re: toner recycling. Sarthak was over at IT recently and noted that there was a box of toner cartridges that the IT team has been collecting for many, many years since the vendor stopped accepting them for recycling. I’ll do some research to see if there’s a solution in this region.

     

    Thank you,

    Daphne

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