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Projects Updates for Campus Sustainability Month

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  1. Campus Trash Pick-Up

    Associated Project(s): 

    On October 10th, 2024, iSEE hosted it's semesterly Trash Pick-Up in honor of Campus Sustainability month. Volunteers picked up litter near Boneyard Creek and around the Bardeen Quad, and sorted the litter into trash or recycling bags. In total, 40 lbs of litter were collected.

  2. Plastic Reduction Challenge Final Results

    Hello!

    Once again, congratulations on completing the Plastic Reduction Challenge. We are proud of you for taking the steps to become more conscious of your waste and dedicating your time to reflect on and change these habits. 

    As a group, we decreased our average plastic waste by over 200%! Our Week 4 point total for the group was 7.7 points, a positive score reflecting many, many positive actions in addition to plastic avoidance. One participant decreased their waste by more than 400%, while others had positive point totals throughout the entire challenge. These accomplishments, among others, are incredibly impressive!

    If you submitted a Google form anytime throughout the challenge, please keep an eye on your inbox for a certificate...Expand »

  3. Post-Challenge Sunday Email - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Good afternoon,

    Congratulations on completing the Plastic Reduction Challenge!! You should be incredibly proud of yourself for your dedication this past month. We hope this challenge revealed some of your personal waste habits and prompted you to think about actions you can incorporate into your lives (and encourage others, too!) to decrease your personal environmental footprint. Please don’t forget to share what you learned this past month with friends, family, and peers. Keep up the momentum!

    If you have not already, be sure to submit your Week 4 Google Form by Monday, 10/31. As mentioned last week, we will reach out to you one last time on Thursday with some exciting announcements: the raffle winners and statistics on how we did as a...Expand »

  4. TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series - Campus Sustainability Month 10/26/22

    The October - Campus Sustainability Month TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series event was held on 10/26/22. Lucy Nifong led a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion around the topic of “climate action needs new frontline leadership.” For those that could not make it, I attached her PowerPoint presentation and hope you take the time to watch the TED Talk by Ozawa Bineshi Albert. After our conversations this evening, I feel motivated to keep writing our legislators and lead by example. We all have the power to make a difference! Be sure to check out Lucy’s Op-Ed: Students Must Get out the Vote So We Can Break the “Midterm Curse”!

    Our next TED Talk: Eco-Edition series event will be held on Nov. 15 at 7 PM in celebration of America Recycles Day. ...Expand »

  5. Week 4 Check In - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Good morning!

    We are feeling bittersweet that this is our last week of the Plastic Reduction Challenge. We are so grateful and impressed by each and every one of you for your participation and focus throughout this month’s challenge. There are 184 of you registered for the challenge; together, we make up an amazing community of individuals on our way to living a life with less plastic!

    Our final tip of the challenge is a guide on how to live sustainably beyond the challenge. In a few days, you will no longer have to tally your plastic items or receive emails every week to hold you accountable, reminding you to keep up the hard work. The attached guide contains tips for moving forward. We encourage you to reflect on your own. Did you...Expand »

  6. Trash Cleanup 10/19/22 - Data

    The trash pickup on 10/19/22 was a great success, with beautiful weather and a lot of fun, too! We had more than 70 people volunteer, a record turn out. We picked up enough trash to fill an entire dumpster. Most groups helped track and characterize the waste, too. The categories and data are attached.

  7. Trash Cleanup 10/19/22 - Email to participants

    Hello!

    Thank you for attending the Campus Trash Pickup on 10/19! You were among more than 70 volunteers who helped make campus cleaner that day, a record turnout! Additionally, the data you collected about the kind of waste you found helps us characterize University of Illinois’ waste stream, so we can know what outreach we need to carry out in order to decrease waste and litter on campus.

    In just an hour and a half, we collected enough waste to fill an entire dumpster (we had to put overflow trash in blue receptacles, too)! Data highlights include more than 300 plastic straws, cups, and utensils; 225 beverage cans, 35 plastic bags, and countless cigarette butts. This is amazing!

    At the event, many of you had ideas about future trash...Expand »

  8. Week 4 - Plastic Reduction Challenge

     

    Welcome to the final week of the Plastic Reduction Challenge! We cannot believe how quickly October is flying by and we are so grateful for your dedication to the process of tracking and reducing your plastic waste. You have one week left to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and try something new to decrease your waste! If you find that you have managed to either recycle or reuse items in your daily life, why not try something new by helping someone else or sharing a few tips with us! If you have not already, please submit your Week 3 Google Form by Monday.

    This Thursday, we will send the final tip of the challenge: how to go forward and live sustainably, even when the Plastic Reduction Challenge ends. You did not do all...Expand »

  9. Week 3 Check In - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Good morning!

    It’s Thursday so you know what that means… time for our weekly check-in! You are almost done with Week 3 of the Plastic Reduction Challenge. There is just over one week left until the end of the challenge. We are sad to realize this, too. We love communicating with you and building our community of sustainability enthusiasts. How have you improved since Week 1? What more do you have to learn?

    During Week 2, we raised our group average to 12.75 points! This number is outstanding! Not only did our group improve from Week 1, but this number reflects largely positive actions by the entire group. This number is equivalent to refusing plastic (+8 points) and picking up litter (+5 points), while also throwing away no plastic. Wow!

    ...Expand »

  10. Campus Sustainability Celebration - 10/17/22

    The 2022 Campus Sustainability Celebration was a huge success! Thank you to all who participated! The PowerPoint presentation is attached, and the agenda for the event was as follows:

    • 3-3:15 PM – Welcome
      • Jennifer Fraterrigo, on behalf of Director Madhu Khanna (iSEE)
      • Chancellor Jones
      • Vice Chancellor Susan Martinis (OVCRI)
    • 3:15 – 3:30 PM – Holistic initiatives
      • Plastic reduction (Jen)
      • Clean energy/Solar Farm 3 (Morgan)
      • Greener Campus Program (Meredith)
    • 3:30 – 4:40 PM – iCAP Team presentations
      • Energy
      • Transportation
      • Land and Water
      • Zero Waste
      • Education
      • Engagement
      • Resilience
    • 4:40 – 5 PM – Student groups (SSLC, SSC) – Jack Reicherts and Maiah Caise
      • Closing remarks by Jennifer Fraterrigo (on behalf of Madhu Khanna)
    • 5 – 6 PM –
    • ...Expand »
  11. Campus Sustainability Month Activities - Oct 2022

    One of our favorite times of the year is almost here… Campus Sustainability Month! Below is a highlight of major events and programs happening this October, though check out the iSEE Sustainability Calendar for the full list. This is the perfect time to take action and show your support for environmental consciousness (and the Illinois Climate Action Plan!). I look forward to seeing you across campus!

     

    • Plastic Reduction Challenge: Are you up to the challenge? From October 3–30, we provide the resources and point system to help you track your plastic use each week and find sustainable alternatives. The point system and fillable grid are attached, and additional information will be sent out prior to the start of the challenge. Take
    • ...Expand »
  12. Week 3 - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Hello!

    We hope every Illini had a safe, fun homecoming weekend and that everyone is excited about yet another Illini football win! You are officially halfway through the Plastic Reduction Challenge! How does it feel? Meticulously tracking your plastic use for two weeks now calls for celebration. This halfway point is a great time to reflect on what you have learned so far, what resources and new lifestyle changes you have gained, and what it is you’d still like to work on in the remaining two weeks. Please remember to submit your Week 2 Google Form no later than tomorrow, October 17th. 

    This week, in addition to refusing, repurposing, and recycling plastic, we encourage each of you to dedicate time to challenge yourself to commit to...Expand »

  13. Week 2 Check In - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Good morning, everyone!

    You are almost halfway through the Plastic Reduction Challenge - wow! With over 185 of us participating, in just two weeks we have already created positive change in our communities and world. Think of all the plastic waste we have avoided and the waste we will continue to reduce over the next two weeks!

    We loved hearing about your experiences during Week 1 and have been very impressed with your insightful comments, thoughtful questions, and creative ways you’ve earned positive points. Many of you have great goals for this week, such as remembering your reusable grocery bag, having a conversation with a friend or peer, and even having an overall positive weekly score. 

    Last week, our group average was 2.75...Expand »

  14. Week 2 - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Hello!

    We hope you are having a great weekend, especially after an Illini win! Congratulations on completing Week 1 of the Plastic Reduction Challenge! How does it feel? Did anything in particular surprise you during Week 1? We have already learned a lot about our daily habits and are excited to get started on Week 2. Hopefully, each week we will decrease our waste total, both as individuals and as a group. If you have not already, please remember to submit your Week 1 Google Form by Monday morning.

    Did you know there are over 175 people participating in this challenge? Wow! Thank you to you all for taking the first steps in being more conscious of your waste. Together, we can make a significant change! 

    Going into this new week, we...Expand »

  15. Week 1 Check In - Plastic Reduction Challenge

     

    Good morning!

    You are several days into Week 1 of the Plastic Reduction Challenge. How’s it going? We would love to hear what you have learned, what you are struggling with, or any creative ways you have earned points back for environmentally friendly actions thus far. Feel free to share your feedback with us through email or with the Waste Reduction @ Illinois Facebook Group.

    If you’re like us, you are probably surprised with the amount of plastic you use and how integrated plastic is into almost every aspect of life. Becoming conscious of this waste is a great first step to reduce it, so be proud of that! 

    Every Thursday of this challenge, we will send an email checking in with a tip to help reduce your plastic waste for...Expand »

  16. Week 1 Kickoff - Plastic Reduction Challenge

    Happy October, and welcome to the 3rd Annual Campus Waste Challenge! Whether this is your third year participating in this challenge or first, we are so glad you’re here. To each of you, thank you for taking the first step toward decreasing your individual waste stream by challenging yourself to be more conscious of what you throw away every day.

    This year, the Campus Waste Challenge will focus on plastic reduction. The Plastic Reduction Challenge lasts four weeks, from Monday, October 3rd to Sunday, October 30th. Each day, keep track of the plastic you throw away (not reuse or recycle) using the predetermined point system (attached). The goal of the challenge is to earn as any points as possible each week. Every time you throw away a...Expand »

  17. Are you up to the challenge? Plastic Reduction Challenge - Fall 2022

    So much plastic is thrown away each year that putting it all together creates enough material to circle the Earth four times. Ouch. More than 99 percent of plastics come from chemicals derived from fossil fuels (petrochemicals), and only about 9 percent of plastic is recycled for reuse. Approximately 500,000 straws are thrown away each day in the United States alone. It is estimated that the average person in the United States generates 185 pounds of plastic each year. Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Nearly 600 million pounds of plastic fill our oceans, draining from our fresh bodies of water — which we contribute to here in the Midwest!

    These are frightening statistics! How much of what is listed above do you think...Expand »

  18. Join the Plastic Free Challenge this October!

    Join the Plastic Free Challenge!

    Take part in our zero waste journey! Participate in the Plastic Free Challenge during Campus Sustainability Month this October. From October 3–30, we provide the resources and point system to help you track your plastic use each week and find sustainable alternatives. Take part and earn the chance to win a sustainability prize pack. It’s easy to make a positive impact! Sign up for the challenge.

    October 3–30 • Map

    Meredith Moore • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

    baseline_wifi_black_18dp.png This opportunity is available online.

  19. Fall 2021 Semester Summary

    The SSLC underwent many changes under the new leadership of co-presidents Owen Jennings, Maiah Caise, Jack Reicherts, and Maria Maring. The board experimented with the mission and niche of the SSLC, ultimately establishing that the organization shall act as a medium of communication between student groups and the administration. The organization will also be the primary host of the annual Student Sustainability Summit in October, touting – among other interdisciplinary events – Green Quad Day, Sustainable Student Research Symposium, and Tuesday Talks at Bevier Cafe. 

     

    This Summit was the Council’s most noteworthy accomplishment this semester. The SSLC collaborated with: Red Bison, Outdoor Adventure Club, the Department of...Expand »

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