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  1. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello Pete and Shawn--

    Here are the past week's zero-waste activities:

    • I completed a survey from the University of Michigan on campus composting. There was no initial question as to whether our campus composts or not, so I filled in most of the questions with the information that we do not have a composting program at this time.
    • I met with two Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER) students to ask them if they could help us identify teaching coordinators for the labs that recycle gloves. This is part of our effort with the Division of Research Safety (DRS) to ensure that labs have adequate guidelines and training to prevent biohazards and/or dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream. I prepared a spreadsheet for them to enter coordinators' names and contact information as well as a model message to send to Chris Holmes in the Provost Office and to participating departments.
    • I responded to an inquiry from the Illinois Natural History Survey regarding a message to their staff to promote glove recycling. I told them it would be fine to put my name and contact information in the message and cc-ed Morgan to ensure that promotion within an already participating unit does not conflict with our commitment to DRS to refrain from recruiting new units to the program until a decision is made about having additional safety guidelines/training.
    • Replied to the iCAP User Experience Portal Questionnaire.
    • Reviewed PWR SWATeam emails and minutes.
       

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  7. Happy Sustainability Week!!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Sustainability Month
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Illini Lights Out

    Join iSEE, the Student Sustainability Committee and Facilities & Services for a "plogging" fun run/walk, a tour of Abbott Power Plant, a celebration event with organizations and RSOs that includes the Energy Conservation Incentive Program awards and updates on Illinois Climate Action Plan goals, a socially responsible investing program, and the popular Illini Lights Out energy savings event.

     

    Tony Mancuso . Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

     

    Sustainability Week Events Oct. 21-27

  11. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello Pete and Shawn,

    Zero-waste activity for the past week comprised

    • A phone call with Morgan to convey what I learned on Oct. 3 about the glove recycling program from Jill Ducker of VWR and Sara Portillo of Kimberly-Clark. Because F&S has not been able to provide transportation for gloves from participating departments to the trailer at PPSB, Kimberly-Clark and VWR have provided alternatives for them. Noyes/Chemistry is working directly with Kimberly-Clark through their Storeroom program; other units are purchasing UPS call tags to have gloves shipped directly from their sites to Kimberly-Clark. I learned from Morgan that these arrangements run counter to what F&S expected when $6,000 was spent to purchase the glove trailer at PPSB. I learned that the purchase was made to support an agreement that Shantanu Pai had negotiated with Kimberly-Clark to provide one free pick-up per year from PPSB.
    • An email to convey word of the agreement back to Sara, since she is new to her position and is still researching the agreements Kimberly-Clark has with different departments and campuses.
    • Emails to Sara and Jill to let them know that we want departments to bring gloves to PPSB--and that Morgan is looking into a possible option to use one of F&S's "green" trucks to transport gloves to the trailer.
    • Email and phone follow-ups with departments that are recycling gloves to learn who their PIs are and what labs/room numbers are serving as points of collection. This is the third round of effort to obtain the information for the Division of Research Safety (DRS). I sent Morgan as much information as I have been able to obtain in three rounds of contacts.
    • Updates to Morgan and the iCAP portal with the news that Donovan Lab is no longer a glove-recycling site.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  12. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    All, Last week was slow, customer-wise, but busy for planning and prep. I spent most of non-open hours at the warehouse prepping bikes for the shipping event. The date for that was finalized last week as well: It will be on 10/23 starting at 9am when the 53’ trailer is due to arrive. Working Bikes will bring “several people”.

     

    I contacted the APO  service fraternity about helping with the shipping event and they expressed interest—however they cannot guarantee a designated number of volunteers, unfortunately. This week I’ll be putting the word out for volunteers on social media and TBP website.

     

    This week I will also brainstorm ideas to keep the student workers engaged and on task during the slower months as last week has already shown them to lean toward talking without working rather than talking while they work.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 73
    Sales: $825.85
    Memberships: 4 for $155
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $265
    Tire/tube: 24 for $150

     

    Thanks!

     

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  14. poster being created

    Associated Project(s): 
    Vet Med Rain Garden

    Vince is working on a poster to spread awareness of the Rain Garden volunteer group, planned at Vet Med.  The goal is to have a team of volunteers ready for the spring replanting of the rain garden.

  16. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello Pete and Shawn--

    This past week's zero-waste activities were as follows:

    • Kimberly-Clark's new RightCycle representative (Sara Portillo) was in Indianapolis, so we met for coffee to go over emerging changes to the program, which I will discuss with Morgan later today. The biggest one is that we are past the first year of participation where Kimberly-Clark defrays shipping costs, so there will be a charge to ship gloves back to them for recycling. A few departments that are shipping their gloves independently of the F&S collection point at PPSB might be eligible to receive free gloves to offset shipping charges, depending on pre-existing agreements and the volume of material collected.
    • I had a phone meeting with Jill Ducker, the new VWR representative. We discussed the RightCycle program changes and the departments that VWR is working with, including Chemistry and the Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Lab.
    • I updated the participating locations map on the iCAP portal glove recycling page. You may recall that I have been contacting participating units for information on PI names and lab/room numbers for the Division of Research Safety. I learned that the Medical Sciences Building is not a participating location and (through my phone call with Jill) that the Vet Med Diagnostics Lab is.
    • I had emails with Morgan and with Becky Jonas, the PWR SWATeam clerk, regarding content for the team's poster for iSEE.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  17. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last week was slow. For the first hour now we’re usually seeing fewer and fewer people darken the door. It seems that we’re always busier on the tail end of open hours, from 4-6 more than 2-4.

     

    Last week I began  turning pedals at the warehouse in preparation for the big shipment. Todd from the Bike Project came and helped. He also grabbed scrap this weekend. Thanks, Todd!

    This week I’ll be nailing down the date for the bike shipment with Working Bikes and turning pedals. I’ve done 67 so far, only (roughly) 400 more to go! I’ll reach out to the student staff for some help, which would expedite the process.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 80
    Sales: $746.25
    Memberships: 4 for $120
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $390
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $80
    Tires/tubes: 9 for $50

    Thanks!

     

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

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