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Projects Updates for Project Revert to Earth

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  2. Enactus Compost opportunity

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren
    Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 10:18 AM
    To: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>; Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Subject: FW: Inquiry about Potential Partnership with Composting

     

    Hi Hannah & Sakshi,

     

    If your project receives funding from SSC, this may be an option for where to dispose of the collected food waste in the union/residence halls.

     

    Thank you!
    Daphne

     

    From: Schroeder, Claire Nicole <claire27@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2023 10:15 AM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Inquiry about Potential Partnership with Composting

     

    Hello, 

     

    I hope you are doing well. My name is Claire Schroeder, and I am a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am writing on behalf of https://www.illinoisenactus.com/

    Home | Illinois Enactus

    Illinois Enactus is a social entrepreneurship RSO at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Our projects solve inequalities in our community through entrepreneurship.

    www.illinoisenactus.com

    , a 501(c)3 social entrepreneurship organization that works on projects with the intent of creating sustainable solutions that address needs in the community. Currently, my team and I are looking to start a new initiative centered around composting and educating the fellow student body and community on its social and environmental importance. Because of this, we are looking for partners that will work with us to share their food waste with us so that we can work together to create a healthy form of fertilizer through the composting process. Would you have an interest in working with us by contributing your waste or the waste that you deal with from the UIUC dining halls to aid in our composting process? Would you like to positively contribute to our project, if it gets sourced officially in Enactus, so that we can together create this compost product? If so, please reply to this email and I would be glad to talk to you more about the project. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience, thank you!

     

    Best,

    Claire Schroeder

  3. Application drafted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2023 8:23 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Daphne, 

    Yes, we liked the gift card idea, so we put down 5 gift cards of $100. 

    We have successfully submitted the application!! Again, appreciate all of your help and I am so excited for this project. Fingers crossed:) 

     

    Have a wonderful weekend, 

    Hannah Kim

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 10:59 AM
    To: Kim, Hannah <    hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Hi Hannah,

     

    That make sense to me. Another option might be to purchase x number of gift cards for a raffle drawing (ex: all volunteers who sign up and show up are automatically entered into a raffle drawing for 3 $25 or $50 gift cards). That was an immediate thought that came to mind!

     

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 10:56 AM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Hey, 

     

    Thank you for taking a look at it:) Yes, we are currently working on the budget as we talked to Professor Prescott, and she recommended us to have some payments for students to volunteer to gather the data as the scale of the study doesn't seem so feasible for two students. So, we have been thinking about that aspect. What do you think? 

     

    Hannah Kim 

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 9:40 AM
    To: Kim, Hannah <    hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <    svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: SSC Application

     

    Thank you very much for sharing, Hannah! This looks excellent. I’m hopeful that SSC will take to it and move you on to step 2.

     

    The only piece I noticed missing was the “Total amount requested from SSC” on page 2. Are you still working on finalizing the proposed budget before submitting?


    Thank you!

    Daphne

     

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2023 11:29 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: SSC Application

     

    Dear Daphne, 

     

    Hello, I hope you have had a good week so far. Here is the finalized application for the research project. I am so excited to submit this and start this big journey!! 

     

    Best, 

    Hannah Kim

    Attached Files: 

  4. FSH 232 compost opportunity

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren
    Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 1:40 PM
    To: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: FW: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hi Hannah,

     

    During our call yesterday we briefly touched on part 2 of your project, to be informed by the research study. If it is determined a small-scale pilot compost project should be implemented on campus (& depending on the response from the Sustainable Student Farm), this class which regularly produces food scraps might be a great start.


    Thank you,
    Daphne

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

    From: Wong, Corina <cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2023 12:13 PM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hello Meredith and Daphne, 

     

    My class consists of 40 people (or 20 pairs) and we meet twice a week. Our food scraps would consist of egg shells, fruit, and veggies scraps. I'm thinking about 5-10 pounds a week. It depends on each lab. 

     

    Thanks,

    ​Corina Wong (she/her/hers)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

    Food Science Major - Class of 2026

    cwong54@illinois.edu | 773-733-3719 

    From: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 11:02 AM
    To: Wong, Corina <    cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <    dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hi Corina,

     

    Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in responsibly disposing of food from FSH 232. I am copying Daphne Hulse, who is the campus Zero Waste Coordinator so that she can stay in the loop as well. We still have a tumbler at the National Soybean Research Center and Presby Hall. These are approximately 65 gallons; do you have an estimate of how much food waste your course generates? The Presby Hall tumbler is not at capacity, so theoretically, you are welcome to use this for vegetable/fruit scraps. We are in the process of identifying a larger scale option though unfortunately this is all we have available at the moment.

     

    Thank you!

    Meredith  

     

    --------------------------------------------
    “There are a lot of dreamers – dreaming is very important, but it’s really the dreamer and the doer. You’ve got to be the doer.” –Will Steger  

    MEREDITH MOORE
    Sustainability Programs Manager 

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    1101 W Peabody Drive (Suite 382), Urbana, IL, 61801
    217.333.0119 | mkm0078@illinois.edu
    www.sustainability.illinois.edu
     
    signature_2127019860

    Please consider the environment before printing out an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. 

     

    From: Wong, Corina <cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 10:08 PM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <    mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Composting Tumbler

     

    Dear Meredith,

     

    My name is Corina Wong, and I am taking FSHN 232: The Science of Food Preparation. When researching composting at UIUC, I found your contact information regarding a composting tumbler. I was wondering if the composting tumbler still exists. 

     

    I'm emailing you because in FSHN 232 we produce a lot of food waste due to the nature of food preparation. Right now, our food waste is simply tossed into the trash. I would like to find a solution to our food waste (and one that would last for future semesters since this class is offered every fall and spring). I was wondering if we could put our food waste into that tumbler. If not, do you have any alternative solutions? I have contacted the dining services, and unfortunately, delivering our food waste to the Grind2Energy services is not possible. 

     

    Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

     

    Thanks,

    ​Corina Wong (she/her/hers)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

    Food Science Major - Class of 2026

    cwong54@illinois.edu | 773-733-3719 

  5. Project advisor acquired

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 9:17 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: Advisor Request

     

    Dear Daphne, 

     

    Thank you so much for your willingness to help us out yet again:) We would absolutely love to have you as our advisor. Thank you! 

    We are currently focusing on finishing the application for the funding as it is due 3/24. We can definitely meet to discuss the details as there is quite a lot that we need to cover. I can send you the basic rundown of the progress we have made so far and the application we are working on later this week. You can look through them and we can meet after spring break! Please let us know what time and day works for you the best. We are so pumped about this as well as we are learning new things every single day throughout our process. Can't wait to talk to you again:) 

     

    Thank you, 

    Hannah Kim

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 4:09 PM
    To: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>; Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Advisor Request

     

    Hi Sakshi & Hannah,

     

    Great to reconnect with you! Jen and Morgan both pointed you in my direction, and I am happy to help assist/advise with this project. I understand that as a part of this project you are interested in pursuing SSC funding, which I am happy to help with as well. As needed, I can bring in other subject matter experts as the project progresses.

     

    As a start, would you both like to meet to discuss this project a little more in depth, and what exactly you will be asking for in the SSC application? I can provide some history/context into waste management on campus, and some of the challenges we currently face with contamination and implementing composting in this region of Illinois.

     

    Do you have a specific timeframe you are working within? I would suggest that we set a time to meet the week after spring break (3/20). Let me know how that sounds! I’m very excited about this project 😊

     

    Thank you,

    Daphne

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu
     
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    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

  6. ISTC, F&S, Project Revert to Earth meeting follow-up resources

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

     

    From: Scrogum, Joy Joann <jscrogum@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 5:02 PM
    To: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>; Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Patterson, Shawn L <spttrsn@illinois.edu>; Samaras, Zach <zsamaras@illinois.edu>; Feher, Savannah <sfeher@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Thank you:)

     

    Hannah, thanks again for your conviction to make positive change and for preparing such a clear, well-considered presentation for today’s meeting!

     

    I wanted to follow up by sending you a link to the Prescott Lab: https://mpp.fshn.illinois.edu/. They do a lot of work related to household food waste and food waste reduction interventions in K-12 schools (e.g. share tables). Dr. Prescott and colleagues also published a paper back in 2021 on how changing the size and shape of plates in dining halls can reduce food waste—see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105293.

     

    You can visit https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/programs/zero-waste/ to learn more about the zero waste efforts of ISTC’s Technical Assistance Program, and see https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/category/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/ for descriptions of past collaborative efforts with the UIUC campus. As I said, we’ll definitely reach out to you about volunteering at a waste sort if we end up working on campus building waste audits later in the year!

     

    One thing we didn’t talk about on today’s call were Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) that you might be interested in. Check out VermiCUlture, https://www.vermiculture.eco/ and Grow2Give, https://www.grow2givecu.com/. Sydney Curts is involved in both organizations, and she might be a good connection for you to speak with; note that she’s graduating in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyncurts/, or email her at scurts2@illinois.edu.

     

    I know Daphne and Shawn will connect you with additional groups, resources, and opportunities on campus. I wanted to share links to two statewide organizations we mentioned earlier. The Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition, https://illinoiscomposts.org/, might be something you’re interested in learning more about. If you don’t want to opt for membership, you can connect with IFSCC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or via our LinkedIn Group. Also, check out the Wasted Food Action Alliance, https://wastedfoodaction.org/. If your class schedule permits, the WFAA hosts a monthly meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month, and those are open to any interested party.

     

    I hope all this helps and wish you luck in your efforts to improve waste management. Don’t hesitate to contact me, Zach, or Savannah if you have additional questions. When you work on waste reduction and management, it’s always such a delight to encounter students who not only understand the issues involved, but genuinely care and want to become involved. Thanks for brightening our day!

    Joy

     

    Joy Scrogum
    Assistant Scientist, Sustainability
    LEED Green Associate | Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP)
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Prairie Research Institute
    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217.333.8948 | jscrogum@illinois.edu
    www.istc.illinois.edu | www.prairie.illinois.edu

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyscrogum/
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 3:32 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Patterson, Shawn L <spttrsn@illinois.edu>; Scrogum, Joy Joann <jscrogum@illinois.edu>; Samaras, Zach <zsamaras@illinois.edu>; Feher, Savannah <sfeher@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Thank you:)

     

    Hello, 

     

    I just wanted to sincerely thank you all for taking the time to listen to my thoughts and providing me with all the insights that I will take them to heart. As a student I appreciate talking to experts that are actively working on the field I am interested in and passionate about. Your comments allowed me to get a sense of where we are in terms of waste treatment and what I should be doing. I know my steps won't be big, but I will for sure make a change. Although it is quite sad that Illinois has poor infrastructure, there are still ways to improve such as students' perceptions and behaviors. With your advice, I think I will start from there. I will be reaching out for more advice and guidance in the near future:) 

    If it wasn't for you, I would have left this idea in the back of my head. Thank you so much for the encouragement and reassurance that there are ways to be involved. Words can't explain how much I appreciate it. I hope there will be a chance for us to talk again and have a wonderful rest of your day!

     

    Sincerely, 

    Hannah Kim

  7. ISTC assists Project Revert to Earth with project inception

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Scrogum, Joy Joann <jscrogum@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, February 10, 2023 2:11 PM
    To: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Jacobson, Debra F <djacobso@illinois.edu>; Feher, Savannah <sfeher@illinois.edu>; Samaras, Zach <zsamaras@illinois.edu>; Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Patterson, Shawn L <spttrsn@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Food waste on UIUC campus

     

    Hello, Hannah. I’m a member of the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). You recently contacted our director, Kevin OBrien, about a project you’re planning related to separating food waste from the rest of the waste stream to see if this might improve capture and quality of recyclable materials at the Waste Transfer Station. Kevin suggested in his reply that TAP may be able to help you because of our work on zero waste projects and interest in food waste reduction in particular, and he copied Debra Jacobson, who leads TAP, on his reply. She in turn discussed your inquiry with our zero waste team—Zach Samaras, Savannah Feher, and myself—and we reached out to Daphne Hulse, our campus zero waste coordinator at UI Facilities & Services (F&S) to discuss this further. TAP has worked with F&S on multiple waste management projects over the years, and have been discussing potential campus waste audits that are tentatively planned for the fall.

     

    Daphne recalled that you were recently part of a tour of the Waste Transfer Station and that you had spoken briefly about this with her and Shawn Patterson, who oversees operations at the transfer station. All of us—ISTC TAP and F&S staff—are interested in learning more about your ideas and supporting you however we can. We’re all passionate about improving waste management on campus and love to see students showing interest and initiative!

     

    Note that of our TAP crew, I’m the only one based here in Champaign, but we’ve all worked with this and other universities on waste management projects. TAP staff won’t be able to directly advise you if you require a faculty advisor for your project, but we’re happy to work with F&S to help you think through logistics, potential challenges, and how best to take your next steps. If we’re not able to serve as official advisors, we’ll do whatever we can to help you identify campus contacts who can.

     

    For the sake of efficiency, we’d like to try to schedule a conversation with you, TAP’s zero waste team, Daphne, and Shawn so we all hear about your ideas directly from you and can better collaborate. Before I send out a poll to select a time for a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting, I want to be respectful of your class schedule. Please let me know if there are particular days/times M-F between 8 AM and 5 PM that you’re regularly free from school or work obligations. From there, I’ll create and send out a poll so we can schedule a virtual meeting that works for everyone’s schedules.

     

    We look forward to learning more about your ideas. Best wishes,

    Joy

     

    Joy Scrogum
    Assistant Scientist, Sustainability
    LEED Green Associate | Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP)
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Prairie Research Institute
    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217.333.8948 | jscrogum@illinois.edu
    www.istc.illinois.edu | www.prairie.illinois.edu

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyscrogum/
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.