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Projects Updates for Achieve Zero Waste

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  1. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi Tracy,

    Last week’s zero waste activities were

    • To bring the iCAP portal up to date with regard to the plans to provide glass recycling to Wounded Vets
    • Discussions with Jessica Tran from Ashton Woods about recycling at graduate student housing
    • Development of a presentation to encourage use of recycling bins

    In the coming few days, I need to check that the information on battery recycling is up to date. I updated it in one spot on the website a while ago, but during the time I was away, it became apparent that other areas had outdated information, so I need to look through and make additional updates. 

    Morgan is aware that I had intended to make headway on mapping where the outdoor bins are around campus this weekend. I will need to take that up this coming weekend instead. 

     

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  2. Glass recycling for the Wounded Vets Center

    Morgan Johnston and Marya Ryan met with Nick Osborne at the Wounded Vets’ Center on March 23 to discuss glass recycling. Anna Barnes designed a glass recycling label for use inside the Center. Ryan is following up with CRI to discuss costs, pickup schedules, and other information. Once-per-week pickup of a 96-gallon toter service is targeted to start by mid-to-late August, when new residents move into the Center. As of mid-July, a service agreement with CRI is still to be formalized and is expected in late July.

  3. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Last week’s zero-waste activity was:

    • Drafting the content for a source-separation PowerPoint presentation and send it to Morgan and Anna for review/comments
    • Discussing volume estimates with CRI and getting pricing from them for glass recycling for the Wounded Vets Center

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan

    Zero Waste Coordinator

  4. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Collation of notes for source-separation PowerPoint presentation and a phone call with Anna Barnes to discuss it
    • Meeting with Dawn Aubrey at Housing to discuss the scope of their waste-reduction activity and learn their role in glass and glove recycling efforts

     

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan

    Zero Waste Coordinator

  5. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Last week’s zero waste activity was a conference call to talk about messaging and campus presentations about source separation. The immediate plan is for me to outline a presentation this coming week.

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  6. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Answered inquiries from Fisher Scientific on progress on glove recycling; Morgan and I will touch base this coming week to get things moving on that effort again
    • Met with Morgan and Olivia Harris to discuss messaging to promote source separation
    • Contacted Dawn Aubrey to set up a meeting to discuss Housing’s role in recycling, particularly with regard to glass and gloves

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  7. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • An email to Morgan to pick up on issues related to glass recycling, recycling for graduate student/family housing, and presentations to promote source separation
    • Attendance at a Campus and University Recycling Coalition webinar on recycling collection logistics on campuses

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  8. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi Tracy—

    This week, I started getting my head back in the game after my absence but did not accomplish anything substantive. I plan to go over notes and pick up the loose threads of the different projects I had been working on in the coming week. In particular, I have communications I need to make on the battery recycling and graduate student/family housing recycling efforts. 

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  9. ENVS 301 students' presentations

  10. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Met with Jessica Tran, a resident of Ashton Woods, to discuss graduate and family housing recycling; sent follow-up questions to Morgan.
    • Signed off on the label for glass recycling that Anna Barnes created.
    • Reviewed iWG minutes and draft assessments related to recommendations from the PWR SWATeam related to the CAM paper policy and the recycling component of the ethics training video and paragraph summary thereof; also reviewed a draft assessment of the ECBS SWATeam recommendation to conduct the “Illini Lights Out” program ongoing. The assessments are in draft form and are being circulated for iWG member comments.
    • Updated the iCAP portal with my name and email address for zero-waste staffing.
    • Updated battery recycling description in the iCAP portal.

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  11. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • Met with Morgan to learn how to enter information into the iCAP portal. I plan to update zero waste coordination activities in the coming week.
    • Received campus maps from Morgan so that I can start mapping the existing locations of outdoor trash bins. This information will help inform decisions about where to locate dual bins.
    • Reviewed recommendations from the PWR SWATeam regarding battery recycling, the need to implement the draft CAM paper purchasing policy, and a recycling component of the campus ethics training video.


    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  12. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here are my updates from last week:

    • I attended the PWR SWATeam meeting, during which the team decided to finalize and forward its recommendations for a CAM paper policy. I need to obtain a document showing the recommendations, as I did not see a final version of it. They also discussed comments they had provided for the Ethics Office video supporting recycling compliance. They will cc Morgan and Micah on the message containing the recommendations. The group discussed avenues to promote sustainability and the behaviors that support it at the marathon, at Quad Day, and during EOH.
    • I communicated with Jessica Tran to set up a meeting regarding recycling options for Family and Graduate Housing.

    Sincerely,


    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  13. Weekly update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hello all,

    Here is a summary of my activity last week:

    • I spoke with Joy Scrogum about the state of battery recycling on campus and thoughts for its future. Then Morgan, Micah Kenfield, and I met with Robert McKim and Clara Bosak-Schroeder, two faculty members who want to help with promoting battery recycling on campus. I provided them with a link to the Call2Recycle website, where they can purchase battery recycling boxes.
    • I met with Jonathan McClintock from Kimberly Clark to learn more about the RightCycle program under which we are recycling gloves. I also stopped by an event at Krannert, where companies affiliated with Fisher Scientific were showcasing their products.
    • Morgan and I spent time on Friday catching up on various recycling efforts and defining the next steps, with particular attention to communications about source separation and my assignment to map where the outdoor bins are around campus.

     

    Sincerely,

    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

     

  14. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi Tracy—

    Last week, my main activities were

    • Meeting with you to learn the online time reporting system and to discuss limitations at WTS related to locating additional recycling drop-off bins there; relaying information back to Morgan
    • Organizing meetings related to glove and battery recycling
    • Meeting with Jordan Powers and Tanya Lisowsky of Fisher Scientific about glove recycling

    I can provide more detail on any of these items if it’s helpful/useful to do so.


    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  15. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 

    Good morning, Tracy—

    Here is what I’ve been up to this past week:

    • Morgan and I met with Nick Osborne at the Wounded Vets’ Center last Tuesday to discuss glass recycling. I have a call in to Matt Snyder at CRI and will call him again to get costs, pickup schedules and other information we’ll need to get glass recycling set up at Wounded Vets and about a dozen other locations where it is needed to meet our LEED certification requirements.
    • I attended the PWR SWATeam meeting last Wednesday and followed up by putting Meghan Killinger in touch with Ryan Welch and Brent Lewis on an effort to learn the waste pick-up routes on campus. They have also requested information on the status of composting, which I will provide in the coming few days.
    • I have email in to Ryan and Brent to clarify what is needed by way of mapping waste bins around campus for the Dual Bin project.
    • Jordan Powers from Fisher Scientific has been in touch with me. We are arranging a meeting to include Tanya Lisowski in the coming week or two.
    • Morgan and I met for a couple of hours so that she could give me the history of waste reduction and diversion efforts related to glass, styrofoam, compostables and the anaerobic digester, gloves, and batteries.
    • I signed up to get information from CURC. I got my F&S badge from Traice Quinn.

    Best regards,

    Marya Ryan

    Zero Waste Coordinator

  16. PWR SWATeam Minutes 3/15

    At the PWR SWAT Team meeting on March 15th, the team debated over the message in the new Ethics Compliance Message concerning recycling standards and rules. The team decided that two videos should be created, one with base instructions for recycling, the other for explaining the commonly misunderstood paper policy. The team will look more into the paper policy draft and suggest a new paper policy for the campus. 

    Attached Files: 
  17. Discussion at Transportation Building about ECIP funds

    Morgan Johnston and Shawna Grady met to discuss the potential uses for the Transportation Building's ECIP funding award ($10,000).  Options included additional recycling bins, LED lamps, power strips, battery recycling containers, and potentially a waste characterization study for the building (if available through ISTC).

  18. FY 17 SSC funding for Zero Waste Coordination

    The SSC funding for Zero Waste Coordination ($64,862) covers four different recycling efforts.

    1)      Campus-wide infrastructure, $29,750: Expanding the “Dual bins on the Quad” to north of Green and eastward to Goodwin Avenue, in collaboration with F&S Superintendent of Grounds Ryan Welch.  Ryan’s Grounds workers are mapping the existing bins, as a first step.  All of this funding is for the physical infrastructure (bins and lids, etc.).

    2)      Campus-wide education, $1,032: The key message of personal responsibility for waste management needs to be communicated through multiple channels on campus, in order to effect the culture shift that we deeply need on campus.  F&S will create educational materials to explain the recycling options available to the campus community, to reduce confusion.  The funding is based on 8 presentations throughout campus and development of educational materials (which will be used in future years as well).  All materials will thank SSC for their funding support.

    3)      Building specific solutions, $30,520: Per the completed Waste Characterization Studies, there are various changes that can be implemented in the studied buildings to improve waste diversion.  These changes need to be approved and implemented in coordination with building occupants, so there is a need for a staff coordinator to work with the individual units.  The funding is based on two weeks of staff time per building, for eight buildings.

    4)      Special recyclables expansion $3,560: There are new programs available for interested units on campus to recycle nitrile gloves, styrofoam, alkaline batteries, and glass.  Unfortunately, very few units are aware of these opportunities.  We are requested funding for student employees to reach out directly to potential participants and help them incorporate the applicable programs.

  19. landscape waste composting

    Associated Project(s): 

    The compost turner at the landscape composting site for campus Grounds is out of commission.  However, we still windrow our landscape debris and the OE's turn it with a bucket tractor the best they can. 

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