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  1. Meeting 8 September

    Associated Project(s): 
    Agriculture, Land Use, Food, and Sequestration (ALUFS) SWATeam

    The ALUFS SWATeam had its first meeting of the year, during which the scope of the teams' focus was reviewed. Because of the range of topics, the team decided to narrow down its focus for the year, particularly on the university's farm properties, nitrate sampling, and best management practices.

    Attached Files: 

  2. Article: Eco-Olympics builds on success and seeks new leaders

    Associated Project(s): 
    Eco-Olympics

    Eco-Olympics is a competition focused on bringing hall residents together to make environmental changes that make a lasting impact on the community. Hall-based teams compete with each other in energy reduction efforts. Teams get points for energy reduction per resident as well as the number of residents that sign up, number of events held, social media posts, and how many people attend each event. 

    Link to the article: http://housing.illinois.edu/News/EcoOlympics

    Attached Files: 

  3. Water005 Rainworks Design Lot F4 recommendation - Transmittal

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

    The iCAP Working Group transmitted the Water SWATeam recommendation to do a feasibility study for implementing the award winning RainWorks Challenge student design in parking lot F4 on campus.

    See attached iWG assessment.

    See SWATeam recommendation Water005 Rainworks Design Lot F4 here.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Article: Cyclists have same rights as cars

    Associated Project(s): 
    Enforcement for Safe Cycling
    Issue Press Releases and Sustainability Reports

    Parkland students may want to consider biking, as it affords them an opportunity to exercise and is an ecofriendly way of getting around. There are dangers associated with cycling though, and there are laws that must be followed to ensure your safety while cycling.

    Link to the article: http://www.prospectusnews.com/2017/09/06/cyclists-have-same-rights-as-cars/

    Attached Files: 

  5. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    All, last week was a blur! According to our sign-in data, we had 277 visitors. That seems high but numbers don’t lie. We were pretty much all-stands-full within the first half an hour. Unfortunately that means some members have had to wait for stands to work on their build-a-bikes. Nothing we can do about that, unfortunately.

    The numbers:
    Sales (overall): $1,867.60

    Bikes (refurbished): 1 for $180
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $46
    Memberships: 26 for $780
    Tires/tubes: 47 for $244

    This week sees the beginning of the fix-a-flat class that Lily has shepherded into existence (Thanks, Lily!). I already have told people about that to much positive interest. There also is a community ride happening in the middle of the week that I will attend. I will also help with LTN preparations this week. A couple new student workers are starting this week, too, which will be good.

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  6. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Tracy—

    Here’s what I was up to this past week: 

    • I’ve come very close to finishing the maps of the trash bins, with just 3 of the 14 sheets left to wrap up next weekend when I’m back in town again.
    • I talked to Michael Olinger at Housing. They are willing to pick up glass for recycling from the Wounded Vets Center and other buildings when we are ready. I introduced Michael to Nick Osborne at Wounded Vets via email so that Michael can arrange a site visit. Midwest Fiber is charging $80/ton for glass drop-offs. Michael will consult with Dawn Aubrey about what the expectations would be for cost sharing on the part of buildings that Housing picks up glass from. As we work through setting up Wounded Vets, I am writing up a process for setting up buildings with glass recycling so that it can be replicated as we add more buildings.
    • I learned that it’s best if we don’t ask units to use the Call2Recycle site ID when they order battery collection boxes. It could muddy the waters with regard to who is responsible for payment and where the boxes would be shipped. Therefore, the instructions in the iCAP portal are fine as they are. This coming week I will send them to Steve Breitweiser so he can update the F&S page on battery recycling.
    • The potential volunteer for transporting gloves from labs to the trailer referred me to Shantanu Pai. Shantanu had to postpone our call this week, so hopefully, I will learn more from him this coming week about who may be willing to help with transportation. I learned that over the summer, Michael Olinger had sent a trailer load of gloves to Kimberly Clark. 

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  9. SWATeam Charge Letter for FY18

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Agriculture, Land Use, Food, and Sequestration (ALUFS) SWATeam
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam
    Zero Waste iCAP Team

    The charge letter was sent to FY18 SWATeam members, noting the SWATeams' responsibilities for the academic year.

    Attached Files: 

  10. A Model Program for Reducing Water Waste on Campus

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Conservation [ARCHIVED]
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam

    As collegians head back to campus this fall it means campus water use will spike, so ISTC has released a video on a model program which dramatically cut water waste with a student-directed behavior change campaign. Loyola University Chicago implemented its “Gallons Saved and Shared” project with the help of a grant from ISTC’s Billion Gallon Challenge. Student interns and volunteers planned and executed fixture upgrades across much of the campus and designed a awareness/behavioral campaign with the expertise of psychology majors. In addition, Robyn Mallett, associate professor of psychology and her colleagues, were able to study the responses to produce scientific insights. A college campus is an ideal setting to build a culture of sustainability that can follow graduates throughout their lives. The experience of “Gallons Saved and Shared” is a model that can be considered to produce conservation results on other campuses, said Aaron N. Durnbaugh, Loyola’s director of sustainability.

  11. Update on progress

    Associated Project(s): 
    Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) Climate Action Plan

    Gopal and Morgan reviewed the Big Ten schools in the Green Sports Alliance.  Gopal will find associated scores for the schools that are in that program.  He pulled data for the DIA buildings from the Energy Billing System, and put them into the consolidated format.  He also began reviewing the Green Sports Alliance programs.  During the next month, Gopal will contact the SWATeams to brainstorm potential ways DIA can help acheive the iCAP objectives for their topics.  He will also start a draft word document for the DIA CAP and list recommended actions for each chapter of the iCAP.

  12. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, last week was—according to the visitor numbers—an unprecedentedly busy week. According to our tracker for visitors we had 239 people into the shop last week. I pored over the list of visitors and cut down two duplicate sign-ins from the original 241, but other than that the numbers bear out: we averaged about 50 sign-ins per day. Most must have been those looking for bikes and since we’re sold out, moved on quickly, because the shop never felt unbearably busy.

    Sales: Overall: $1,865.70; refurbished bikes: 3 for $440; B-a-Bs: 3 for $199; memberships: 17 for $510; tires/tubes: for 31 for $147.

    Yesterday was Quad Day. I think it went very well. We handed out bike registration flyers and successfully registered a few people’s bikes thanks to the iPad Lily brought. I will be interested to see how many people show up for registration stickers this week (hopefully a lot). Most people did not realize it was required to register your bike on campus.

    On Friday, Lily, Scott (from Parking), Officer Briggs from UIPD and I had a meeting to discuss theft and removal of abandoned bikes on campus. We will have a follow up meeting at a TBD date to discuss ways to streamline removal of abandoned bikes without advertising that fact to thieves and the like as well as how to better educate students about bike registration and locking technique.

    This week I will build bikes, have volunteers count and sort all the Light The Night light sets, and attend the TBP member meeting. I will brainstorm ways to expedite the registration sticker procurement process here at CBC, as last week we had a long line of people who didn’t understand (despite many announcements) that they could do the majority of the registration process on their phones beforehand.

    Sincerely,

    • Jake Benjamin
      Campus Bike Center Manager

  13. Archived info - previous program description, replaced August 20, 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rechargeable Battery Recycling

    [Did not preserve the previous version of the first paragraph, to which minor updates were made to indicate that boxes are for a mix of single-use and rechargeable batteries and that participating units must pay Call2Recycle.]

    Call2Recycle accepts all rechargeable batteries that weigh less than 11 pounds, including Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn) and Small Sealed Lead Acid (SSLA/ Pb) batteries. Individual batteries must have their terminals taped or be bagged before being placed in the Call2Recycle  boxes. Leaking batteries are not accepted, and should be disposed of through the Division of Research Safety (217-333-2755).

    To start the program in your office:

    1.         Visit the Call2Recycle website at http://www.call2recycle.org/ and join the free rechargeable battery recycling program.  Call2Recycle will follow up with a return phone call to you. When you receive this call, please provide them with the University of Illinois’s Parent ID #78151.

    2.         Call2Recycle will send the collection boxes with UPS shipping labels directly to your building.  When you first start the program, please notify F&S Waste Management at 244-7283.

    3.         When a box is full of individually bagged rechargeable batteries, check to ensure that only acceptable batteries are in the box.

    4.         Write down the box’s UPS tracking number and then place the full box at a UPS pickup location. UPS will pick the box up free of charge at the time of their next scheduled delivery.  UPS will ship the full box of batteries to a metal reclamation center for processing.

    5.         Call2Recycle will automatically send you new empty boxes with UPS shipping labels.

  14. Archived info - previous program description, replaced Aug. 20, 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    Single-Use Battery Recycling

    Single-use battery recycling can be done through an outside vendor, Battery Solutions. This vendor accepts single-use (AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V). Battery Solutions also accepts button cells and lithium primary batteries, but leaking lead acid batteries are not accepted and should be disposed of through the Division of Research Safety (217-333-2755). Batteries should be individually bagged or have their terminals tapped before being placed in the Battery Solutions container. Each 55-pound container of batteries is sent through FedEx. The cost for the each container to complete the process is $84. This program is no longer centrally funded.

    To initiate the program in your office:

    • Contact:  800-852-8127
    • URL:  http://www.batteryrecycling.com/
    • Cost:  $84 per 55-lb Pail (includes empty container, pre-paid FedEx shipping labels to return full container, and cost of recycling batteries)
    • Shipment Method: FedEx (building contacts can call FedEx directly to arrange pick-up, or go through vendor contact to have them do it.)
    • Notes: Battery Solutions automatically charges us and sends a new container when we return a full container to them

  15. Battery recycling participation instructions updated in iCAP; F&S page updates pending

    Associated Project(s): 
    Battery Recycling
    Rechargeable Battery Recycling
    Single-Use Battery Recycling

    Instructions for units that want to provide battery recycling have been updated on the appropriate iCAP Portal pages, with a detail regarding the provision of a "parent ID number" to Call2Recycle still pending. Once that detail has been confirmed, iCAP Portal instructions will be updated again if necessary, and instructions on the F&S page will be updated.

  19. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hello Tracy, 

    Here are my zero-waste coordination activities from the past week: 

    • Continued my efforts to find out who in the area can provide glass recycling service. See the attached document for what I’ve learned so far. It looks like we are on track for the time being, as Midwest Fiber has agreed to continue to accept drop-offs from Housing. I have a phone call coming up this week with Michael Olinger at Housing; they may be willing to pick up glass from the Wounded Vets Center and possibly other buildings. I will confirm this when I speak with Michael. 
    • I collated a list of LEED buildings on campuses in Urbana, Champaign, Bloomington, Normal, Springfield, and Decatur. If need be, I will find contacts at the buildings to inquire about how they handle glass recycling. Given that Midwest Fiber is willing to continue the arrangement with Housing, it is unlikely that I will need to follow up. I identified a vendor who carries rectangular recycling bins for glass collection and will continue to look for others who do. I’ve inquired with you and Morgan about whether to coordinate my efforts with iBuy and will do so if appropriate.
    • Updated battery recycling information on the iCAP Portal and uploaded the attached file to the pages for rechargeable and single-use recycling. Contacted Call2Recycle for information about what the U of I parent ID number is used for. Once I find out, I will update the iCAP pages if necessary and will follow up with Steve Breitweiser with updated instructions for the F&S website.
    • Continued developing program materials for the glove recycling program on campus. I had a phone call with Kimberly Clark representatives, who are working on a list of chemicals that gloves may have been used with prior to recycling. Once I have that list and instructions from you regarding the trailer at the Physical Plant, I will forward materials to Anna Barnes so she can create web pages and PDFs to support program implementation.
    • I have contacted a potential volunteer at ISTC who had expressed willingness to help transport gloves from labs and other sites to the trailer. He volunteered over a year ago, when Bart Bartels was still here, so I have reached out to see if he is still willing and able to assist.

    This afternoon, I will continue my work on mapping trash bins around campus and will send you and Morgan as much as I complete today. I plan to fully complete the task over the Labor Day weekend. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

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