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  1. PWR013 Zero Waste Coordinator recommendation - Assessment Started

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    Achieve Zero Waste

    The iCAP Working Group (iWG) met on September 17, 2018, to discuss and start the assessment of the PWR 013 - Zero Waste Coordinator recommendation. The iWG's draft assessment was:

    "The iWG supports moving forward with hiring a Zero Waste Coordinator, and we would stress that their responsibilities are twofold: educate the campus on recycling, and to push for system changes to improve campus recycling."

    See SWATeam Recommendation PWR013 Zero Waste Coordinator here.

  3. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    It was a quiet week for zero waste. I got a few responses from labs participating in the glove recycling program and had some email with the student volunteers from BER. I plan to wrap up lab contacts this week and report back to Morgan and DRS with as much information as I was able to gather.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

  4. SSC approves micro grant - SSLC guest lecture series

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    SSC has voted to approve the $500 micro grant proposal for a guest lecture series with the contingency that this grant is considered seed funding and not ongoing financial support. In accordance with our fee mandates, the funding cannot go towards, food, travel, or lodging. Thus, this grant supports the honorarium and/or venue fees. 

    Attached Files: 

  6. Water005 Rainworks Design Lot F4 recommendation - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Water and Stormwater Recommendations Summary
    EPA RainWorks Challenge

    Director of Parking at the University of Illinois, Marty Paulins, responded over email to Ximing Cai (iSEE Associate Director for Campus Sustainability) in support of the recommendation:

    "Parking supports the recommendation to do a feasibility study for Lot F4, incorporating the green infrastructure from the conceptualization completed by the students in the award winning rainworks challenge."

    For future updates on this project, please visit EPA RainWorks Challenge.

    See the iWG Assessment of Water005 Rainworks Design Lot F4 here.

    See the SWATeam Recommendation Water005 Rainworks Design Lot F4 here.

  7. Parking Advisory Committee recommendation - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Transportation iCAP Team Recommendations Summary

    Director of Parking at the University of Illinois, Marty Paulins, responded over email to Ximing Cai (iSEE Associate Director for Campus Sustainability) in support of the recommendation:

    "Parking supports the recommendation to have the Chair of the Transportation SWATeam serve as a voting member of the Parking Advisory Committee.  The current chair is listed as Yanfeng Ouyang – if this is correct please let me know and an invitation will be sent to for the initial October meeting."

    See the iWG Assessment of Trans009 PAC here.

    See the SWATeam recommendation Trans009 PAC here.

  9. 18S Semesterly Report - FSHN Projects

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Sustainable Agricultural Food System

    Spring 2018 semesterly report submitted to the Student Sustainability Committee for the hand sink replacement, tortilla expansion, juicing processing, pumpkin puree, and extrusion expansion projects.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Mid-Day Walks

    Associated Project(s): 
    Walking Tours and Events

    Fall Mid-Day Walks begin Monday, September 17. All fitness levels are welcome. Walks start at 12:10 pm and end at 12:50pm. Starting point is behind the Illini Union. This program is free, but you must register, and complete a short medical history and release form. Register at go.illinois.edu/CampusWellbeingServicesPrograms.

    Michele Guerra . Campus Wellbeing Services

    MId Day Walks begin Monday September 17

  12. Trans008 Mode Share Survey recommendation - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Transportation iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment has agreed to administer a mode-share survey helmed by Micah Kenfield, Sustainability Programs Coordinator.

    See iWG assessment Trans008 Mode Share Survey here.

    See SWATeam recommendation Trans008 Mode Share Survey here.

    For future updates, please refer to Reduce Cars (Vehicle Miles Traveled) on Campus.

  13. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, this past week calmed down a bit. We were still busy but manageably so instead of overwhelmed. Friday’s heavy and constant rain kept visitor number low for that day. Last week I interviewed and will be hiring a new student worker. I reached out to Working Bikes about them taking a lot of our abandoned bikes as in years past but I haven’t heard back from them yet.

     

    I taught a Bike Maintenance 101 class last Monday. It went well, even if there was  low turnout. I picked up 12 bikes or so from UIPD. They’ve got another 10 – 12 for us and I’ll coordinate with them this week on that. I’ll also be finishing up some bikes so we have a few for sale, stripping some of the junkers that we got from UIPD and working on inventory as we look towards fall.

     

    The numbers:

     

    Sales: $1,586.00

    Memberships: 11 for $330
    Bikes (refurb): 4 for $695
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $104.50

    Tires/tubes: 14 for $112

     

    Thanks!

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  14. Environmental Town Hall

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

    Environmental Town Hall will be Sept. 14 at Beckman Institute

    A Champaign County Environmental Town Hall will be from 3 to 4:15 p.m on Sept 14 in the Beckman Institute Auditorium, Room 1025. The event will include a panel discussion on the Future Energy Jobs Act, as well as renewable energy, clean jobs, and other environmental issues, and time for questions. Please register at bit.ly/2wvZUX8.

    Robert Goldman . Science Policy Group & Union of Concerned Scientists

  15. Update from Joy Scrogum

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Gadget Garage [ARCHIVED]

    Amanda Elzbieciak, IGG workshop manager recently updated our impact statistics document. See attached.  As of July 2018, through repair assistance and collection of special materials (e.g. single-use and rechargeable batteries, CDs and their cases) the project has diverted 740.88 lbs. of material from the waste stream. ISTC will not be continuing as the coordinating agency. I'm working with Amanda to explore options for transitioning the project to a different unit on campus and will post any updates on that as they become available. - Joy Scrogum

     

    Attached Files: 

  17. Recontacted BER Volunteers

    Associated Project(s): 
    Glove Recycling

    With the students back in town for the semester, Marya Ryan re-contacted the Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER) volunteers she spoke with in the spring. The volunteers are helping with the glove recycling program. Over the summer, they identified contacts for nonparticipating departments with $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-2018. Ryan emailed their contact person, Meghna Vijayan, and caught her up on events over the summer, such as the relocation of the trailer at PPSB and F&S's work with the Division of Research Safety. Ryan also asked whether they could help identify teaching coordinators in the teaching labs to assist with that work.

  18. Working with Division of Research Safety on Glove Recycling Safety

    Associated Project(s): 
    Glove Recycling

    Morgan White and Marya Ryan had a phone call with Monica Miller of the Division of Research Safety (DRS) and Shantanu Pai. F&S is working with DRS to ensure that labs/facilities participating in the glove recycling program are employing best safety practices to prevent biohazards and dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream. Ryan has emails out to participating labs to gather lab names, room numbers, and PI contact information so that F&S can start assessing any additional instructions, training, or other program components that will support safe practices.

  19. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn--

    Zero waste activities for the past week were

    • Morgan White and I had a phone call with Monica Miller of the Division of Research Safety and Shantanu Pai. We are working with her to ensure that labs/facilities participating in the glove recycling program are employing best safety practices to prevent biohazards and dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream. I have emails out to participating labs to gather lab names, room numbers, and PI contact information so that we can start assessing any additional instructions, training, or other program components that will support safe practices.
    • With the students back in town for the semester, I re-contacted the Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER) volunteers we spoke with in the spring. They are helping with the glove recycling program. They helped us over the summer by identifying contacts for nonparticipating departments with $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-2018. I emailed their contact person, Meghna Vijayan, and caught her up on events over the summer, such as the relocation of the trailer at PPSB and our work with the Division of Research Safety. I asked whether they could help identify teaching coordinators in the teaching labs to assist with that work.
    • Morgan agreed with Robert McKim's suggestion that the battery recycling proposal his committee formulated this spring and summer be adopted by the PWR SWATeam. The committee that drafted the proposal is one that he and several other interested faculty members formed (the Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries). He solicited input from me, Morgan, and Joy Scrogum. He will take it to the PWR SWATeam meeting on Sept. 10.

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan

  20. Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries' Proposal to Go to PWR SWATeam in September 2018

    Associated Project(s): 
    Battery Recycling

    During the 2017-2018 academic year, interested faculty members formed the Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries. Members included Clara Bosak-Schroeder, Ömer Özgür Çapraz, Marcus Smith, and Robert McKim. They developed a draft proposal for a pilot battery recycling program that would be coordinated across the campus and eventually become self-sustaining. They sought input from Joy Scrogum, Morgan White, and Marya Ryan. Robert McKim joined the PWR SWATeam starting with the fall 2018 semester. He will take the proposal to the team at its September 2018 meeting so that the team can take ownership of the proposal and help move it forward.

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