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  3. Freezer Challenge participants to be recognized at Celebration

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge
    Apply for Recognition

    Hello 2019 Freezer Challenge Participants, It’s time to celebrate, eat cake, mingle with your peers and be recognized for your efforts supporting the University of Illinois’ second-year running 1st place finish in the International Freezer challenge. Thanks to you for leading sample management and cold-storage best practices, and supporting the University of Illinois' world-class standing.

    RSVP today!

     

    Sustainability week is October 21-25th. This year the campus Sustainability Celebration will take place on October 23rd, from 4-6pm in the Levis Faculty Center, Room 300. We will award your Certificate of Leadership in Environmental Stewardship in Sustainable Lab Practices at this celebration and acknowledge your hard work and energy savings this past year at the University of Illinois. 


    This celebration also shares exciting environmental initiatives around campus (including the Energy Conservation Incentive Program) and attendees will have the chance to provide input for the 2020 Illinois Climate Plan.

     

    Additionally, you will be acknowledged and invited on stage to be congratulated for your hard work, as well as join in the group photo with the 1st place award from the I2SL conference in Denver, Colorado. (We are hoping it will return in time, if not we will use last years for the photo) 

     

    Please RSVP to this email if you are able to clear your schedule for this celebration and check in with me at the door when you arrive. 

    Thank you all again for your incredible performance in this year’s International Freezer Challenge. We could not have won without your hard work and dedication to sustainable labs on campus. 

     

    Best,


    Madeline Barone

    Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and Environmental Stewardship Intern | UIUC F&S

    President | Eco-Olympics

     

    --

     

    Madeline Barone

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Class of 2020

    Environmental Sustainability and Psychology Majors

    Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and Environmental Stewardship Intern | UIUC F&S

    President | Epsilon Eta Environmental Honors Fraternity

    President | Eco-Olympics

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinebarone/

  4. UI Energy Conservation Winners Saved $189K in FY19

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)

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    UI Energy Conservation Winners Saved $189K in FY19

     

     

    CHAMPAIGN, IL – Facilities & Services (F&S) is recognizing the efforts of eight campus facilities for their energy conservation successes during the Campus Sustainability Celebration on Wednesday, October 23, 4–6 p.m. at the Levis Faculty Center. The event is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend and learn more about the university's sustainability progress and initiatives.

    The Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP) recognizes buildings on campus that showed the greatest percentage of energy reduction from fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

    In the "Occupant Action Category," the four winners are "auxiliary" buildings: F-29 Parking Deck won first prize, showing a 44.1% improvement, saving $9,084.79. Campus Recreation Center - East (25.4%, $47,746.73), McKinley Health Center (21.2%, $37,949.77), and North Campus Parking Deck (15.6%, $16,992.74) were the other winners.

    This was the first year auxiliary buildings – that is, buildings that financially support themselves – were allowed to participate in the ECIP competition.

    In the "Energy Advancement Category," Harker Hall showed the greatest improvement, with a 34.9% reduction, saving $14,739.62. English Building (26.6%, $21,918.88), Admin Information Technology Building (26.5%, $7,820.66), and Loomis Laboratory of Physics (15.1%, $32,697.59) also won.

    The ECIP started seven years ago as a way to encourage and reward energy conservation achievements in support of the Climate Leadership Commitments. State-supported and auxiliary buildings of 10,000 gross square feet or more are eligible for the awards program. Buildings compete in two categories: Occupant Action, which recognizes building users' efforts, and Energy Advancement, which recognizes facilities that partnered with F&S to complete a large-scale energy conservation project.

    For more information, visit https://www.fs.illinois.edu/services/utilities-energy/energy-conservation/ecip.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  6. Weekly Update - BFU status, What to Wear, Build-a-Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Despite the cooler weather the shop was still relatively busy all week. On Thursday or Friday we even had a waiting list.
    In other news, we achieved Silver status for our Bicycle Friendly University! Congrats to all those involved.

    Last Thursday night we had our What To Wear class at ARC. It went well. 3 people stopped by and we covered all there is to riding in colder weather. Thankfully the people who came already had well-equipped bikes for the muck and suck of the winter elements so it was mostly talking details of clothing choice and how much salt/snow/ice can impair the function of your bike. Fun times!
    Also of note was our 3(!) Build-a-Bikes completed last week, two of which were done on Thursday. When that program works, it is empowering like none other. Unfortunately, it’s a big hill to climb.

    Elsewhere, I’ve been having Staff and volunteers count our used and new parts to compile a master list of inventory. It’s tedious but important to be able to figure how much stuff we’ll be moving the new CBC.

    Thanks to Todd for grabbing scrap over the weekend.

    This week we’ll continue to purge and pare down our inventory, build bikes, and keep plugging away at prep for our move.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 96
    Sales: $616.25
    Memberships: 8 for $240
    Bikes (refurb): 0
    Bikes (B-a-B):  3 for $266
    Tires/tubes: 17 for $76


    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  8. Weekly Updates for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn--

    This past week, Morgan put me in touch with Meredith Moore to set up a time to discuss tiny scale composting. We have a phone call set up for this coming Tuesday.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  9. U of I promoted to Silver-Level BFU Status

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Friendly University Status

    The University of Illinois has been promoted to Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) status as of October 17th, 2019, for taking significant steps to address health and environmental challenges by creating safer, more welcoming and accessible areas for people who bike. The U of I is one of 94 colleges and universities with Silver or higher BFU status.

    Some of the university’s recent initiatives that contributed to receiving Silver certification were the publication of the 2014 Campus Bike Plan, bike path and bike lane improvement projects, bicycle rack parking upgrades and additions (11,635 bike parking spaces in 2019), the launch of the Bike at Illinois website, the start of VeoRide bike sharing availability in 2018, and the improvement of bicycle route networks through the MCORE project.

    Dr. Mohamed Attalla, executive director of Facilities & Services, said, “Achieving this well-earned award is due to the dedication and persistence of many individuals within the campus community collaborating to increase bike programs, improve infrastructure, and encourage others to get involved and help reach strategic active transportation goals.”

    See Facilities & Services announcement of this news.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Glass recycling finds funding on campus

    Associated Project(s): 
    Indoor Bin Update
    Glass Recycling at Housing Catering Services

    Glass recycling finds funding on campus

    Recycling+and+trash+bins+lie+near+the+west+courtyard+of+the+Union+on+Wednesday.+The+University+offers+more+than+3%2C000+recycling+bins+around+campus+including+glass+deposits.%0A

    MARK CAPAPAS

    Recycling and trash bins lie near the west courtyard of the Union on Wednesday. The University offers more than 3,000 recycling bins around campus including glass deposits.

    BY LUIS VELAZQUEZ, STAFF WRITER
    OCTOBER 10, 2019

    A glass recycling bin located in the Illini Union Courtyard surprised associate director of Facilities and Services for Sustainability Morgan White because she thought the University does not partake in recycling glass. Although many bins around campus only have places for plastic, paper, cardboard and scrap metal to be recycled, the University Housing Dining Services still funds glass recycling.

    More than 3,000 recycling bins are available throughout campus in dorms, as well as public facilities where plastic bottles, paper, cardboard and scrap metal can be recycled. 

    “A few times in the past 30 years, we have reviewed the materials that go through the F&S Waste Transfer Station, and we found that there is a very small amount of glass,” White said in an email. “Recently, Waste Characterization Studies were done for (eight) buildings on campus, measuring the exact amount of waste materials produced by each of those buildings.”

    According to White, Dave Guth, interim senior associate director of operations at the Illini Union, said, “This is probably one of the last remaining fiberglass bins we have in the building. The old containers had a separate stream for glass bottles and aluminum cans/plastic bottles.”

    White said although small amounts of glass come from campus buildings, the University Housing’s Dining Services have chosen to fund glass recycling.

    According to the Waste Management and Recycling website, “The University ‘diverts about 30% of its waste from landfills.’”

    With help from the F+S Waste Management Department, the University is aiming to reach its goal of reducing the total amount of waste sent to landfills. The University’s objective is to obtain a Zero Waste Campus environment, as indicated in the Illinois Climate Action Plan.

    The Waste Transfer Station, a facility for recycling goods, operates daily compacting and shipping trash to a landfill. However, the recyclables that come from campus are manually sorted and deposited into storage bins. After being compressed in a different bin, they are sold to recycling companies.

    Nichole Millage, environmental sustainability specialist for the City of Champaign Public Works Department, said the city offers glass recycling, but does not actually collect or process trash. This job is done by other companies, such as private solid waste haulers.

    “The City manages a multifamily recycling program (Feed the Thing), but the pick-up services are contracted to a private hauler (Midwest Fiber Recycling in Urbana),” Millage said in an email. “Per City Code, all licensed residential solid waste haulers in the City of Champaign are required to accept glass for recycling from residents.”

    Lesly Ortega, sophomore in LAS, said she believes since the University does not tell students to recycle, the majority do not properly recycle trash. However, Ortega is glad the University offers this option in general.

    “I feel like glass is used a lot more now,” Ortega said. “A lot of the refreshments sold in vending machines or in stores are accompanied with glass, so instead of it being thrown away, it should be recycled.”

  13. Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting: 15 October 2019

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Topical iCAP Teams

    Attached are the meeting minutes for the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting on 15 October 2019, as well as a document referenced within the document.

    The team discussed the current structure of the conversations around 2020 iCAP renewal and whether that would be the most efficient (in terms of both impact and timeframe) manner to create new objectives.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Weekly Update - Bike Maintenance 101, First visit free

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, We’ve slowed down enough to offer the First Visit Free option again, which has its plusses and minuses but is at least consistent with our website/literature on the topic.

    Last week we had our Bike Maintenance 101 class. Three attendees came, despite the cold and rain, so that was awesome. I think all of them had issues with their own bikes that precipitated their interest in the class and two of them said they’d be back to fix their bikes. A success!
    One bike was on the donation rack this morning. Another small bike but of good quality that’ll hopefully fix up quickly.
    I got in touch with someone from the Fine and Applied Arts to see if there’s any interest in using some of our scrap metal to keep it out of the dump but that was a dead end. I’ll still try to think of ways to keep our scrap pile a little smaller since we’re frequently at-or-beyond capacity. I think overall, we don’t have enough venues through which to repurpose a bicycle beyond B-a-B and Shop Builds. Something to think about.
    This week if we’re slow I’ll have the student staff do a deep dive on our used parts inventory to get a better picture of just how many bike parts we’re storing here. Additionally, we have our What to Wear info session at ARC on Thursday evening from 7 – 8p.

     

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 82
    Sales: $677.75
    Memberships: 14 for $420
    Tire/tubes: 14 for $79

     

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  20. Planning to revise web presence

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Sara Mason, Chantelle Hicks, and Morgan White discussed revisions to the Bee Campus USA web presence. For ease of maintenance, the iCAP Portal seems to be a more friendly process for providing updates and keeping the web content current and active.  Sara could do the entries this year, and future students could do entries in the future years.  The updates can also be shared on other websites, when requested.  Sara will bring this idea back to the student committee, for a decision.

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