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  1. Household Hazardous Waste Report

    Associated Project(s): 
    Contribute to Regional Climate Action Plans

    Today’s RPC Technical Committee meeting included an overview of the study completed by RPC to identify a strategy to improve household hazardous waste (HHW) collection options in a seven-county east central Illinois region. Work on the study began in 2013 and was completed in 2015.

    The take-away product of the RPC study is the Local Government Toolkit: Improving HHW Collection Options in Illinois. (The Toolkit and accompanying Background Report may soon become a published report by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center).

    The problem of providing a viable HHW collection option to our citizens has been a longstanding one. In Champaign County we waited six years before receiving the opportunity to hold an IEPA one-day HHW collection at significant cost in September 2012. We are waiting still (four years and counting) for another IEPA one-day HHW collection opportunity. In the meantime, no collection options exist for citizens for safe disposal of:

    • Oil-based liquid paints, paint strippers, and thinners
    • Herbicides and pesticides
    • Lawn chemicals
    • Insecticides
    • Old gasoline
    • Mercury-containing devices
    • Drain and oven cleaners
    • Spot remover
    • Antifreeze
    • Pool chemicals
    • Household cleaning products
    • Car cleaners
    • Personal care products

    Fortunately, some strides are being made locally by providing local options for safe disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals.  We have a long way to go with regard to HHW collection options.

    As an initial action, please distribute the attached Local Government Toolkit: Improving HHW Collection Options in Illinois for review to all stakeholders with a potential interest, including your planning agency, public works department, and local officials.

    The Champaign County Sustainability Practitioners group recommended to form a leadership team to engage in the search for funding sources to support an agreed-upon strategy as a logical first step.

    I look forward to receiving  your questions or comments about this upcoming initiative.  Thank you.  

    Susan Monte, AICP

    Planner

    Champaign County Regional Planning Commission

  3. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Registration
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, This past week went well.  We sold 2 bikes for $230, one membership for $25, and grossed $475.  We were able to represent the center at the ISSS open house.  The bike registration database is completed and we are seeking approval from all parties to launch!  We built more bikes.  We are at about 40.  I was able to make some head way in organizing the shop.  There are so many built bikes now that they are becoming a nuisance.  I did more work on the blasting cabinet.  It has already proved useful, but the air filter unit that came with it is not working well and we may have to purchase new filters. 

    This week I will be holding a class on disc brakes due to requests by students.  I will send an e-mail about it to membership.  I will work on the air filter unit for the blasting cabinet.  I will also be building more bikes for the spring rush.  There is an international student safety day on the 24th that we will be participating in.  I will be preparing materials for that as well as seeing if we can do some mechanical demos.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  4. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee met Tuesday, February 16 to continue fleshing out the ECBS SWATeam's fourth iCAP objective, which has to do with increasing campus engagement in sustainability.  Discussion continued on ECIP and potential changes for the upcoming year- a major issue is raising awareness of this program and others like it. By the conclusion of the meeting, the focus of the subcommittee shifted to creating and sending recommendations to the iCAP Working Group, such as a Green Labs Initiative proposal as well as continuing Eco-Olympics or initiating a similar program that would serve as dorm resident engagement.  The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 23.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Criteria developed for prioritizing feasibility studies recommended by SWATeams

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    The iCAP Working Group approved the following criteria for evaluating potential feasibilty studies recommended by SWATeams.

    Criteria for Feasibility Studies

    • Emissions reduction – using the iCAP’s emissions numbers
    • Financial cost reduction – per the formal campus budget impact
    • Educational factor – related to students learning more
    • Promotional factor – related to UIUC reputation
    • Ease of implementation – related to the number of hurdles for getting this done, or using the results of the study to implement a change on campus
    • Political factor – similar to promotional, but related more to our responsiveness to community concerns and requests
    • Resource conservation – including energy, water, and materials
    • Connection to iCAP Objectives
    • Behavior change – support a sustainable culture
    • Cost Benefit Analysis – will the cost align with perceived benefit

  11. Archived Data from Bike Sharing Wiki

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bike Sharing Feasibility Study

    The following and attached information is from the Bike Sharing Wiki from 2011.

    http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=81293&search=justin%20kingsolver&s...

    http://www.pantagraph.com/news/article_38d6d0e5-b053-5502-9d45-33b148821...

    http://www.wiu.edu/rockybikes

    http://www.westerncourier.com/news/save-on-gas-rent-a-bike-1.2292157

    Attached Files: 

  12. Student workers needed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Establish a Net Zero Waste Plan and Policy

    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

    Campus Waste Study 

    "We are conducting some research on the campus waste hauling process and I am looking for some help. I need workers for a project that will last for one week, paying $10 per hour. In this project I am looking for people to ride along on the waste collection routes to record how full the dumpsters are prior to being emptied. I have three routes to cover.  The first starts at 3am and runs until 11:30am. The other two routes start at 6:30am and run until 3pm." - Bart Bartels

     

    *If you are interested please contact Bart Bartels, Technical Assistance Engineer ,* at217.244.7572 or bbartel@illinois.edu.

     

    1455031005594-u0kneiisvw-2a1395da292e4f2149b6554133c1d6e0.jpg

  13. ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    The ECBS Objective 4 Subcommittee held its first meeting on Tuesday, February 9.  Discussion revolved around the issue of tying all existing campus engagement programs (e.g., ECIP, Certified Green Office Program, revolving loan fund, etc.) together into one campus-wide brand.

    Attached Files: 

  14. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Registration

    Hello all,  This past week was way busy.  We got a lot of stuff done.  We sold one build-a-bike for $50, 2 memberships for $50, and grossed $523.20.  I brought a couple of new staff members online, and sorted out some payroll issues.  I worked with IT and we are now in the testing phase of the registration database.  If all goes well it will be online this week.  I worked on some details for upcoming advocacy events.  I built a second trailer bike as we have need/requests for a smaller frame bike.  I got the abrasive booth up and running.  It has already proven useful.

    This week I hope to finish the registration database.  I will be attending an advocacy event to table (the ISSS resource fair), and will work on a class I am planning for next week.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James

  15. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Registration

    Hello all, This past week was busy.  We had a lot of people come in and want help fixing their bikes.  We sold 2 build-a-bikes for $180, 4 memberships for $100, and grossed $532.  We have 35 bikes for sale at the shop and are working on more.  I was able to purchase a lot of higher grade tires for a good price and have started to stock these into the inventory. 

    This week I will be working on the registration database a bit more as well as getting ready for upcoming advocacy events.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl

  16. ECBS SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Energy Dashboard Project

    The ECBS SWATeam's first meeting of the semester took place on Tuesday, February 2.  Key topics of discussion included follow-ups on the Energy Dashboard project, Design Center, space utilization meetings Karl attended in December, and internships developed to help with the Green Labs Initiative and campus engagement in sustainability issues.  Morgan also led a discussion on campus engagement, the 4th objective under ECBS in the iCAP 2015, resulting in the formation of an incentivizing subcommittee within the SWATeam with the purpose of advancing this objective.

    Attached Files: 

  19. weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Bicycle Education
    Departmental Bike Sharing

    Hello all,  This past week was good.  We got a lot done and helped a lot of folks.  The Center sold 3 bikes for $400, and grossed $908.50.  I agreed to provide materials and do some education at a international student bike safety event in February.  I was able to clean the shop up a considerable amount. I built a few bikes and we now have 32 bikes that are for sale or need to be logged and priced.  Rick got his bike share up and running and I was very appreciative for the help.

    This coming week I plan on building bikes and cleaning out the back of the shop.

    From the Campus Outpost,
    James Roedl
     

  20. Archived - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability

    This project was previously called "Big Ten & Friends Environmental Stewardship Group" and had the following description:

    "Big Ten & Friends Environmental Stewardship Group began in 2009 as a group of individuals working together to discuss challenges and to work toward solutions to common environmental problems. The group meets in the spring and fall by video conference. Topics of discussion include energy conservation, financing strategies, transportation, renewable energy, and efficient laboratories. In addition to the schools of the Big Ten Conference, the University of Notre Dame, University of Chicago, University of Texas, University of Nebraska, and the University of California schools were also represented."

     

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