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Projects Updates for Zero Waste Recommendations Summary

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  1. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met for their final meeting of the semester on Thursday, April 28. The team finalized drafting a recommendation on updating the Campus Administrative Manual's Waste Minimization Policy and set potential objectives for the upcoming academic year. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 
  2. ZW008 Adopt a Highway/Drain - Submitted

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted the following recommendation to the iCAP Working Group on 4/8/22:

    "The Zero Waste team recommends a two-pronged approach to incentivizing an Adopt a Highway/Drain program:

    • Adopt-a-Highway (Champaign) incentive program recommended to engage faculty, staff and administration at the Department or College entity level
    • Adopt-a-Drain (Champaign) & Urbana Street incentives programs recommended to engage students involved such as RSOs, Greek houses, dorms and Living Learning Communities."

    The ZW008 Adopt a Highway/Drain recommendation is attached. 

  3. ZW007 Composting Strategies - Submitted

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted the following recommendation to the iWG on April 8, 2022: 

    "The team recommends that a committee of campus and community stakeholders be created to share knowledge related to composting on campus and work together to further expand composting at a large scale. The committee will convene approximately once each month, and will consist of faculty members doing research tangential to food waste, student organizations interested in the cause, community groups activating composting, etc. (list of potential members amended to this recommendation)."

    The full recommendation and list of suggested committee members is attached. 

  4. Zero Waste Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Thursday, April 14 to discuss revisions to the Campus Administration Manual's Waste Minimization Policy which the team intends to submit to the iWG. Meeting minutes and proposed revisions are attached.

  5. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Thursday, March 31 to de-brief the Plastics Reduction Strategy discussion, review committee member research on the Adopt-a-Highway/Adopt-a-Drain and Composting Committee Recommendations, and begin discussion on amending the Campus Administrative Manual's Paper Policy. Meeting minutes are attached.

  6. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Thursday, March 31 to de-brief the Plastics Reduction Strategy discussion, review committee member research on the Adopt-a-Highway/Adopt-a-Drain and Composting Committee Recommendations, and begin discussion on amending the Campus Administrative Manual's Paper Policy. Meeting minutes are attached.

  7. iWG Meeting Minutes 3-29-22

    The iWG met on 3-29-22 and discussed the following agenda. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    1. Review from last meeting
      1. Energy008 – will be returned pending completion of planning doc
      2. Energy009 – update from Qu?
    2. New recommendations
      1. ZW005 Water Bottle Survey
      2. ZW006 Water Filter System Tracking
    3. Overview of Sub-Council Agenda
    4. Round the table - updates
    Attached Files: 
  8. iWG Meeting Minutes 2-25-22

    The iWG met on 2-25-22 and discussed the Energy008 and Energy009 recommendations, Trans014, and plastic reduction initiatives. Andy Stumpf and Bill Rose, the Energy iCAP Team chairs, joined the meeting to discuss the two Energy recommendations. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 
  9. ZW006 Water Filter System Tracking - Submitted

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted recommendation ZW006 Water Filter System Tracking on 3/2/22. The recommendation is attached, and states in summary:

    "The Zero Waste Team recommends that the number and status of all EZH20 bottle filling stations on campus are tracked by number, location, amount of water bottles saved, and their filtration status (I.e. green, yellow, red/date of filter replacement)."

  10. ZW005 Water Bottle Survey - Submitted

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted recommendation: ZW005 Water Bottle Survey on 3/2/22. The recommendation is attached, and states in summary:

    "The Zero Waste Team recommends that a campus-wide survey be administered to gain a better understanding of drinking water behavior on campus."

    Attached Files: 
  11. PWR006 Expanded Recycling - Declined

    Morgan White, Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability, sent the following email, declining PWR006.

    ===============

    Hello Jen and Meredith,

    I am writing this to close the loop on iCAP recommendation from 2015, and for posting on the iCAP Portal about this topic. In 2015, iSEE sent PWR006: Expanded Recycling to the Executive Director of F&S Al Stratman, from what is now the Zero Waste iCAP Team.  The director over the waste transfer station at the time, Carl Wegel, asked the staff to investigate the accuracy of the potential income from expanding the plastics collections.  Tracy Osby and Bart Bartels looked into it, and I was informed that in our local market there could be an increased cost to campus for collecting and recycling these additional plastics, rather than the projected increase of revenue.  Additionally, the existing baler at the Waste Transfer Station was deemed incapable of handling the additional plastics, in its old age condition.  For that reason, this recommendation was denied by F&S, in a discussion with the PWR SWATeam.

    On a brighter note, we are currently working on hiring a full time Zero Waste Coordinator, who will be able to pursue this effort further.  We also are grateful to the support of the Student Sustainability Committee, which funded a feasibility study to identify the costs of replacing the current baler.  I have also discussed the funding needs for the new baler with Associate Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives Kim Kidwell and Senior Executive Director of Principal Gifts David Bruns, in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement.

    F&S looks forward to continuing our partnership with iSEE to support the implementation of the iCAP 2020 objectives, and we look forward to reducing plastics on campus in the months/years to come.

    Thank you,

    Morgan

    ==============

    See PWR006 Expanded Recycling transmittal and iWG assessment here. 

    See PWR006 Expanded Recycling recommendation here. 

  12. PWR019 Sustainable Procurement - Supplanted by ZW002

  13. ZW002 Join NERC Government Recycling Demand Champions - Successful

    Aaron Finder, Assistant Director of the Purchasing and Contracts Management office, sent the following email on 2/9/22:

    ============

    Hi Meredith,

    I have met with NERC a couple time to get a better understanding of NERC and its Government Recycling Demand Champions program. Their Director, Lynn Rubinstein, and I discussed membership levels and the Purchasing and Contracts Management Office will join NERC as a “Supporting Member.”

    Through our membership with NERC, we will also have the ability to participate in 4 active committees:

    1. Plastic & Paper Recycling Markets
    2. Bottle Bill Committee (Charge more for plastic at purchase but receive money back if you recycle)
    3. Glass Committee
    4. Organics – End Markets (Compost)

    There will be limitations on how many participants we can invite to committee meetings or NERC conferences, but Lynn did say I could include at least one committee member (i.e. Tim Stark or Zero Waste Coordinator) if we participate in any event.  

    After we become members, we will become a  State Recycling Organization Advocate within the Government Recycling Demand Champions program. This means we will commit to helping publicize the program and promote purchasing of products with post-consumer resin to their members and the public. While we are developing our EPP Guide, this seems to be the most appropriate classification.

    I’ll let you know once our membership dues have been paid. I’m also sharing a couple documents Lynn provided.

    Let me know if you have any more questions.

    Thanks,

    Aaron M Finder, mba cppb

    ==========

    For future updates, see State Recycling Organization Advocate NERC project page here. 

  14. ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program - Successful

    Dr. Jeff Moore, Director of the Beckman Institute, responded to Morgan White, Associate Director for F&S for Sustainability, with the following email on 1/18/22:

    "Thank you, Morgan and Jennifer.  We'll discuss this at our next meeting.  On first glance, it looks like a prudent practice to follow."

    See iWG assessment and transmittal of ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program here.
    See recommendation and submittal of ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program here.

    For future updates, please refer to the Reusable Containers project

  15. Zero Waste Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Wednesday, February 9 to discuss the several recommendations in the works, including: Plastic Reduction in vending machines, Composting Commitee, Adopt a Highway/Drain, Food Literacy Project, and Sustainable Receipt options. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 
  16. ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program - Transmitted

    Following the completion of iWG assessment for ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program, the recommendation was transmitted to Dr. Jeff Moore, Director of the Beckman Institute. 

    =============

    Hello Dr. Moore,

    The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) Working Group (iWG) recently reviewed recommendation ZW004 from the Zero Waste iCAP Team (formerly known as a SWATeam) to implement the use of reusable dining containers. The iWG discussed this and recommends that Beckman Institute implement the option for reusable containers, as was done at Bevier Hall and University Dining.  Please see the details included in the attached iWG assessment and Zero-Waste iCAP Team recommendation.  

    There are several advocates for reusable containers on campus, and a group of them met with the Zero Waste iCAP Team last July.  The notes are available online at https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/zero-waste-icap-team-reusables-dining-meeting-notes-726 and may provide you with some initial insight into this recommendation.  University Housing’s Dining Services is an excellent resource to assist, and the iWG and Zero Waste iCAP Teams are available, as well. 

    The Formal iCAP Procedures includes a section on campus unit responsibilities upon receipt of a recommendation, and we respectfully request your initial response to this recommendation by February 4, if possible.  If you have any questions regarding this recommendation, we are happy to arrange a zoom call. 

    Sincerely,

    Morgan

    =========

    See iWG assessment of ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program attached.

    See iCAP Team Recommendation ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program here. 

    Attached Files: 
  17. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Thursday, January 27 to finalize the recommendations drafted at the end of last semester, the Water Drinking Behavior Survey and the Water Filter System Tracking. The team also discussed several recommendations they intend to pursue this semester, including: Adopt-a-Highway program, Food Literacy Project, Composting Committee, P Card Training and Sustainable Receipt options. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 
  18. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Friday, December 3 to discuss and finalize the two recommendations related to the team's water bottle behavior change campaign. These include a drinking water behavior survey and a recommendation to track water filter systems on campus. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

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