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  1. Check in meeting from September 6, 2023

  2. Green rolloff for recycling arrives!

    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.

  3. Building Services Specialist Cleaning Program Launched This Semester

    ...Expand »

     

     

    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

  4. energy conservation question from CEE assistant professor

    Associated Project(s): 

    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

    ----------------...Expand »

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

    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...Expand »

  6. 2023 Competition Update

    Associated Project(s): 

    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. (...Expand »

  7. Monthly meeting with Morgan and Stacey

    Associated Project(s): 

    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.

  8. Meeting notes with Ethan Garcia - Capstone project

    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 

  9. Toner and Ink Cartridge Recycling

    Associated Project(s): 

    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...Expand »

  10. Meeting with BirdBike

    Associated Project(s): 

    On 08/29/2023, Stacey, Sarthak and Hrushikesh along with city planners of Urbana and Champaign had an introductory in-person meeting with BirdBike. The agenda of this meeting was to get a demo of the BirdBike bicycles and have discussion on potentially introducing these bikes on-campus and the in both cities. 

    Meeting Notes:

    1) Membership opportunity

    2) BirdBike facilitating no bike zone in certain areas of campus .

    3) Demo of the Bikes and its parking system.

    4) Safety features and precautions. 

    5) Using GPS and VPS system for tracking and parking.

    6) Helmet Safety feature.

    7) Rider Quiz before every ride.

    8) Wayfinding for campus bike rack parking locations

  11. Help with an Energy Modeling Class?

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi Tony,

     

    We need to provide historical energy data to Professor Yi for his work with us this fall to create building energy models for selected buildings on campus, in his Architecture class.

     

    Can you please have someone on your team provide monthly energy data for the following buildings for the last five years, FY20 to FY16?  Also, if hourly data is available, please provide hourly data for these same buildings for the one year of FY19.

     

    ·       Personnel Services Building

    ·       Speech and Hearing Building

    ·       Children’s Research Center

    ·       Bruce...Expand »

  12. Weekly Update: very busy week

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, Another doozy of a week. Long wait times for stands, cash offers to “hold” bikes, and my favorite: “When will you get a new shipment of bikes?”

    This week promises to be a little better with more staff on board, and presumably fewer folks coming for their registration sticker. We’ll also have our first Friday Ride of the semester. Weather looks good for it!

    Tonight is the Bike Project Members’ Meeting. I’ll mention it to all the new members we sign-up today.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 142
    Sales: $2,631.38
    Bikes (refurb): 5 for $855
    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $100
    Memberships: 28 for $840

    Tires/tubes: 37 for $263

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  13. Paper purchasing data?

    Associated Project(s): 

     

    Hi Dan,

     

    I hope you are doing well these days.  I am writing to request you assistance with a Zero Waste effort for the system and universities.  We have previously received paper purchase data from someone at OBFS (see https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/fy08-17-uiuc-copy-paper-office-depot-only), and we would like an updated report.

     

    Jennifer Fraterrigo, the iSEE associate director for campus sustainability, and Daphne Hulse, the F&S Zero Waste Coordinator, are copied here as well.

     

    Thank you for your help!

    ~Morgan

     

    (PS. the last time we communicated, I was Morgan Johnston.)

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

    Morgan,

    We haven’t forgotten about your request! ...Expand »

  14. Family and Graduate Housing outreach event at Orchard Downs Community Center

    On 08/26/2023, Sarthak and Hrushikesh were part of a tabling event held in the community center of Family and Graduate Housing at Orchard Downs. Our goal in the event was to spread awareness about the use of bicycles and to give out all the information about bicycles along with free goodies like wrist bands, Keychain, Bike route maps, Bicycle safety rules, and Bike Registration procedure.

    Attached Files: 
  15. Grey Water Recycling, IDPH, Letter?

    texted my plumbing friend – he thought we should talk to Brian Cox with IDPH (he thought his email was brian.cox@illinois.gov).  He thought that even if the variance does not get approved, that having the university put in such a request might bring it closer to reality in future editions of the Illinois Plumbing Code.

     

    Chapter 13, “Non Potable Water Systems” is in the International Plumbing Code.

    CHAPTER 13 NONPOTABLE WATER SYSTEMS, 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) | ICC Digital Codes (iccsafe.org)

     

    I do think if a variance is requested, the variance should make note that ICC does acknowledge these types of systems and provides a framework for life safety, and that on an environmental level, these systems are a...Expand »

  16. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - September 1, 2023

    Associated Project(s): 

    Done:

    • Added map embed capability for collections (see iCAP Portal Map Embedding demo)
    • Objectives Dashboard link on individual objective pages - changed text to "See all 20XX iCAP Objectives"
    • Remove unintended orange underline on "View Image Gallery" link on project & theme pages (e.g. Sustainability iCAP Portal)

    Discussion:

    • Question about a TODO: "Collections page: Add image upload option". At a previous meeting we had this TODO, but what was the context? Was it to have a thumbnail for each Collection? Or a banner image? Or an image gallery?
    • Should we link to "Take Action" project from homepage?
      • Replace map link in Highlights?
      • Need to finish Take Action page content
    • SSC projects
      • May want to use this&
    • ...Expand »

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