The Zero Waste iCAP Team made the following recommendation ZW002 Join Northeastern Recycling Council Government Recycling Demand Champions on 4/2/21: 

University of Illinois to join the NERC Government Demand Champion Program.

1. Free technical assistance in training, recognition, and tools to support efforts in the program. This will help us find more Post-consumer recycled (PCR) products by engaging with existing or identifying new vendors, provide training opportunities to department buyers, and/or provide the SWATeam with innovative engagement tools to increase buy-in across campus.
2. Aligns with State of Illinois Procurement Code (ILCS 500/45-15 & ILCS 500/45-20)
3. First University to join the program
4. National recognition for sustainability commitment
5. Support a circular economy

The Land and Water iCAP team submitted the following Certified Greener Building Certification recommendation on 4/2/21:

"The Land and Water iCAP Team recommends the creation of a Certified Greener Building Program to add to the portfolio of Greener Campus Programs under iSEE. The existing Greener Campus Programs target nearly every facet of campus life from University employees to student experiences. A Greener Building Certification would provide an opportunity for collaboration between building liaisons and the people and groups that utilize campus buildings. A set of requirements and voluntary actions must be developed to achieve the certification. Based on the success of the existing Certified Greener Campus programs, students, faculty, and staff alike are very likely to take advantage of the certification opportunity and embed these actions as part of building operations. These actions will also promote life-long sustainable habits. A Greener Building Certification would establish a sustainability standard and increase our culture of sustainability on campus."

The Land and Water iCAP team submitted the following LW002 Vet Med Parking Lot Re-Design recommendation on 4/2/21:

"This recommendation calls for a redesign of the Vet-Med parking lot F27 to reduce runoff and prevent flooding of the Dairy Farm. Project design recommendations would include adding stormwater infrastructure such as bioswales and raingardens within the redesigned parking lot, as well as to the west of the parking lot where much of the runoff from the asphalt currently flows. A student project, which placed first in the Central States Water Environmental Association Student Design Competition: Environmental Category addresses this issue, but the team recommends hiring a Professional Services Consultant team, consisting of a professional engineer and landscape architect for the design. It is possible that the firm may be willing to donate the design, which would reduce the cost."
 

The Telecommuting & Commuter Program intern met with supervisor Sarthak Prasad on Friday, April 9th, 2021 to discuss updates on the program and goals for the upcoming week. Over the past few days, they continued to research telecommuting programs at other Illinois universities (UIC, UIS, ISU) and various Ivy League institutions. In addition, the Transportation SWATeam reviewed the questionnaire for the IHR department and other universities. Once Audrey and Sarthak finish receiving feedback, they will revise and finalize the questionnaire and send out the document to the IHR department. They will also collect the necessary information to contact the employees responsible for telecommuting at the Big 10 Schools, the University of Illinois at Springfield and Chicago, as well as Harvard and Yale. Once they gain the contact information, they will draft emails to each of the specified schools and create a google form in case the school is not able to meet over the phone or via zoom.

The Career Center hosted a Careers in Sustainability panel which included the following panelists: Roxina Kanchwala (Eco.Logic), John Sinclair (Wisconsin DNR), Andrew Rehn (Prairie Rivers Network), and Savannah Donovan (Urbana Parks District). 57 people were in attendance! Several resources were shared to the group: 

https://climateinterpreter.org/about/projects/nnocci

https://skepticalscience.com/ 

https://www.cleanenergyleaders.org/

https://grist.org/energy/greentrolling-a-maniacal-plan-to-bring-down-big-oil/

https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/

The recording is found here: https://uofi.app.box.com/s/m73kwaloh46tr9pphhwgqm4treblvku0 

The Illinois Solar Decathlon team has completed construction of the innovative ADAPTHAUS and is planning an inauguration event. To learn more about this project, visit some of the many links below:

https://www.solardecathlon.gov/2020/build/competition-team-illinois.html

https://resourcefurniture.com/inspiration/adapthaus-net-zero-for-the-win/

https://sustainability.illinois.edu/student-team-awarded-150000-for-sola...

https://www.facebook.com/illinoissolardecathlon/

https://dailyillini.com/opinions/2021/01/19/letter-to-the-editor-illinoi...

https://www.contractormag.com/green/solar/article/21144537/solar-decathl...

https://twitter.com/Solar_Decathlon/status/1377984161751867395

Meeting minutes for the 4/9 Zero Waste SWATeam meeting are attached. The agenda is as follows:

• Updates
• Roundtable Discussion
  • Removal of virgin paper from F&S stores/catalogues 
  • Elimination of thermal paper receipts
  • Assessment of third-party vendors footprint (single-use plastics, recyclable materials, etc) in the Union.
  • Student Waste Management Educational initiative.
  • Single-use plastics in vending machines.
  • Reuse of Surplus Goods
  • Battery Recycling

The trash pickup on 4/7/21 was a great success, and a lot of fun too! Thirty people showed up and picked up 80 lbs of trash/recycling that would have otherwise likely made its way into Boneyard Creek! Most groups helped track and characterize the waste. The categories and data are attached.

Check out our recap video here!

We made it on the Earth Day Network map: https://cleanup.earthday.org/pages/find-a-cleanup

We met today to talk about the integration of SSC projects in the iCAP Portal.

Sad that Mulch Madness is over? You can still watch (most of) those amazing plants 'play' this year in the garden using my 2020 Bloom Calendar as a guide! The champion Virginia Bluebells, which weren't installed until last fall, are in full bloom NOW!

Check out the Red Oak Rain Garden Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/RainGardenUIUC 

Hello iCAP Teams and happy spring! We are excited to invite you to the next iCAP Team/iWG social hour on Monday, April 5 from 4 – 5pm. The format will look a little different this time. We will be meeting on a cool platform called “Topia”, which will be more conducive for small group discussions.  

Here is the link for our “iCAP 2020” platform: https://topia.io/icap-world

 Topia will not work on a tablet or phone, and it needs to be on a Chrome browser. Please take a few minutes and click the link above before the event, and let us know if you have any issues. The hour will consist of:

4:00-4:10 – Welcome and learn about the Topia website

4:10-4:35 – Breakout groups, visiting the different topical areas based on your interest (not specifically based on your team assignment)

4:35-4:45 – Come back to the center (central park) and a representative from each group will provide a brief update on what the group talked about  4:45-4:50 – Highlight one of the iCAP projects

4:50-5:00pm – Q&A, Conclusion

Let us know if you have any questions. We are so excited to try this out with you in a few weeks. See you then!

Meredith, Morgan, and Ximing

The Telecommuting & Commuter Program intern met with supervisor Sarthak Prasad on Tuesday, April 6th, 2021 to discuss updates on the program and goals for the upcoming week. Over the past week, they created a questionnaire for the Illinois HR department and a questionnaire for when they begin interviewing other universities about their respective telecommuting programs. Tomorrow, they hope to collaborate with the transportation SWATeam to get feedback on their proposed questions. This week, they plan to investigate telecommuting policies at other Illinois universities (UIC, UIS, ISU) and various Ivy League institutions. They will then plan to narrow down the best schools to reach out to and gather necessary contact information.

All,This week projects to be a busy one as the temps climb into the 70s.
Last week I had an interview with Buzz Magazine and we had our Fix-a-Flat class on Wednesday evening. It was well-attended with 3 participants. Our first Friday Ride was a no-show as it was still, I guess, a little chilly for most people. Personally, 60 and sunny is delightful weather to ride a bike. Elsewhere, I also worked with Todd to clear out some bikes at the warehouse. One guy came by specifically asking for the Bike@Illinois seat cover. I happily obliged.
This week we have another after-hours class on Wednesday (Bike Maintenance 101) and another Friday Ride.
Campus Rec IT came by on Friday and set up our new phone, new number, and email address. I worked with Barry to get this new number hooked into TBP communications. The phone will ring in the lobby, which will be much easier to hear and answer than just having my office line.

The numbers:

Visitors: 18
Sales: $677.50
Memberships: 5 for $150
Bikes (refurb): 2 for $370
Tire/tubes: 4 for $29

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center

The iWG met on 3-30-21. The discussion focused on the following: summarizing the Sustainability Sub-Council meeting, the Engagement001 recommendation, the upcoming Sustainability Council meeting, Earth Month updates, and student group updates. The meeting minutes are attached.