Morgan White and Marya Ryan had a phone call with Monica Miller of the Division of Research Safety (DRS) and Shantanu Pai. F&S is working with DRS to ensure that labs/facilities participating in the glove recycling program are employing best safety practices to prevent biohazards and dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream. Ryan has emails out to participating labs to gather lab names, room numbers, and PI contact information so that F&S can start assessing any additional instructions, training, or other program components that will support safe practices.

Hi Pete and Shawn--

Zero waste activities for the past week were

• Morgan White and I had a phone call with Monica Miller of the Division of Research Safety and Shantanu Pai. We are working with her to ensure that labs/facilities participating in the glove recycling program are employing best safety practices to prevent biohazards and dangerous chemicals from entering the recycling stream. I have emails out to participating labs to gather lab names, room numbers, and PI contact information so that we can start assessing any additional instructions, training, or other program components that will support safe practices.
• With the students back in town for the semester, I re-contacted the Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER) volunteers we spoke with in the spring. They are helping with the glove recycling program. They helped us over the summer by identifying contacts for nonparticipating departments with $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-2018. I emailed their contact person, Meghna Vijayan, and caught her up on events over the summer, such as the relocation of the trailer at PPSB and our work with the Division of Research Safety. I asked whether they could help identify teaching coordinators in the teaching labs to assist with that work.
• Morgan agreed with Robert McKim's suggestion that the battery recycling proposal his committee formulated this spring and summer be adopted by the PWR SWATeam. The committee that drafted the proposal is one that he and several other interested faculty members formed (the Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries). He solicited input from me, Morgan, and Joy Scrogum. He will take it to the PWR SWATeam meeting on Sept. 10.

Best regards,
Marya Ryan

During the 2017-2018 academic year, interested faculty members formed the Campus Committee on Recycling Batteries. Members included Clara Bosak-Schroeder, Ömer Özgür Çapraz, Marcus Smith, and Robert McKim. They developed a draft proposal for a pilot battery recycling program that would be coordinated across the campus and eventually become self-sustaining. They sought input from Joy Scrogum, Morgan White, and Marya Ryan. Robert McKim joined the PWR SWATeam starting with the fall 2018 semester. He will take the proposal to the team at its September 2018 meeting so that the team can take ownership of the proposal and help move it forward.

Dear Peter and Shantanu, how are you doing? Prior to our call next week, we would appreciate if you guys can provide us with the truck's rear compactor model and type, It seems to be a lot, but I kindly ask you to do what you can. Compactor body type and model Lifter type and model Pictures:

1. Truck pictures:
   1. Front
   2. Right
   3. Left
   4. Rear
   5. Area between cabin and compactor body
   6. Top of the compactor body
2. Lifter pictures
   1. Without container

                                                               i.      Top                                                              ii.      Bottom                                                            iii.      Both sides in different angles

1. 1. With container (half way up and top position)

                                                               i.      Top                                                              ii.      Bottom                                                            iii.      Both sides in different angles Dimensions:

1. Truck
   1. Compactor body length (A)
   2. Top of the compactor body length (B)
   3. Height of compactor body (C)
   4. Back side of the compactor (D)

1. Lifter
   
   1. Lifter’s plate (width, height, thickness) (E)
   2. Basin’s partition thickness (F)

Thank you so much in advance.

Best Regards

Nadav

Hi Water and Stormwater SWATeam,

I am incredibly sorry I can’t attend the first SWATeam meeting on Monday (I’ll be out of town that day).  I know you have several topics for your team to address this year, and I’m excited about the opportunities coming our way.  This email is to share a few agenda items that I would appreciate your help with, as time permits this fall.

1. Eliana Brown, Brent Lewis, and I intend to request funding from the SSC, this fall, for a green infrastructure master plan for campus.  This would entail hiring a consultant to evaluate our existing green infrastructure and recommend locations for additional installations.  The recommendations would need to consider maintenance requirements, utility fee impacts, and the environmental benefits.  It would also include stakeholder engagement around campus for setting shared goals (such as the ability to use the GI installations as living labs).  We would appreciate your input and support during this process. 
2. The iCAP goal for performing water audits has been discussed in your team, and I would like to help move this forward this year.  Is there a “lite version” of this concept that could be done with student volunteers?  Maybe your team could look at how other schools have reduced water consumption around campus.  If the audit is primarily related to research labs, then this should be brought into the discussions about an overarching Green Labs Program, which we have been discussing (via the ECBS SWATeam).  We hope to get a task force formed by spring semester to talk about how to incorporate sustainability more fully into the research labs around campus, without impeding the safety of our researchers.
3. There are two recommendations from your team that were transmitted to the appropriate units last week.  The RainWorks F4 project recommendation was then forwarded from Lowa Milwambwe to the new Director of Parking, Marty Paulins.  Marty and I are planning a meeting about the SWATeams this coming week.  I wonder if your team would be willing to do the initial draft of the SSC application suggested by your SWATeam recommendation?  Please let me know on Monday, if you can help with this on Parking’s behalf.  The funding applications are due 9/24.
4. Thank you for agreeing to talk with Art Binder about his suggestions.  If you believe a service like his should be pursued, please submit a formal recommendation.
5. Do you have any suggestions for how to promote the results
6. Finally, I am hoping to start getting regular (at least twice per year) Project Updates in the iCAP Portal for projects with the status “In Progress.”  Is it possible for your SWATeam to help with this effort?  I believe it would be a matter of looking at the iCAP Portal theme page (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/themes/water), clicking expand all, and reviewing the information on each of the six “In Progress” projects.  If it doesn’t have a recent update, then someone on your team could reach out to the contact person and get an update to post. 

Thank you so much for your help with all of this!  Having students, faculty, and staff working together to advance the iCAP has been a wonderful help, and I am eager to work with you this year.  Sorry again for being unable to attend on Monday.

Thanks,

Morgan

===============================

Ms. Morgan White

Associate Director of F&S, Sustainability

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

148B Physical Plant Service Building, MC-800

1501 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820

217-333-2668 mbwhite@illinois.edu

http://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu

Hello PWR SWATeam,

I know you have several topics for your team to address this year, and I am so sorry I cannot attend the meeting on Monday!  This email is to share a few agenda items that I would appreciate your help with, as time permits this fall.

1. Robert McKim is a new faculty member on this SWATeam, but he has been working with battery recycling all of last year.  Would you please review the report he will share and consider a formal SWATeam recommendation?
2. I just sent an email regarding the Harding Band Building recycling system.  Please take a look at it and consider a formal recommendation.  I believe a walkthrough of the building may show an opportunity for a new bottles and cans recycling bin inside, and perhaps the large blue tote could be shifted into a more convenient spot during the game days. 
3. The employees in civil engineering were surveyed by Becky Jonas (with assistance from Tim Stark) about recycling over the summer.  Please take a look at the results Becky has collected.  It is our intention to use your draft recommendation on indoor bin placement, to rearrange the bins in NCEL.  This should be done in consultation with the BSWs and Facility Manager in that building.  Please let me know which folks from your team would like to participate in the meeting with Tim Prunkard and Ramona Burns, about rearranging the indoor bins to increase the recycling rates.  At this time, I do not think a related recommendation is needed.
4. During tailgates, there is a great opportunity to collect more recyclables in blue bags.  Someone shared the idea with me that we could ask DIA to provide blue bags and a simple flyer about what to recycle in the bags, at the entry ways for tailgate parking areas.  There is already a controlled entry point, so the implementation of handing out blue bags and instructions could be straightforward.  Do you think this could be a formal recommendation to DIA?
5. The SmartWay recommendation was transmitted to the Illini Union and F&S Stores this week. We intend to have a webinar with instructions from the EPA SmartWay coordinators.  Would any of you be interested in participating in that conference call?
6. As I understand it, the Purchasing Office has been shifted from the System level to the Campus level for reporting, and there are additional changes still in process about procurement policies and authority.  I met with Brad Henson last week, and he is determined to be available and participate in the SWATeam meetings.  He agreed to send a proxy when he cannot attend, and this Monday that is his intention.  While we were talking, I gave him a brief history on the paper policy discussion, and we thought it may make sense to have purchasing policies in the Campus Administrative Manual.  Until recently, purchasing policies were set at the System level.  Please discuss this possibility with Brad.  I already have the formal recommendation from your team related to this (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project-update/pwr009-paper-policy-recommendation-transmittal).  I am looking for feedback on the idea of separating the existing policy into two.
7. For the outdoor bin replacement, we have approval from the Architecture Review Committee, the Superintendent of Grounds, and the Campus Landscape Architect to proceed with the dual bins across campus.  Marya Ryan has provided a rough estimate of the funding needed, as approximately $500,000. Ximing and I would appreciate a recommendation from your team in support of implementing this project, seeking funding support from each of the responsible parties (such as Parking, DIA, Campus, and Student Affairs). Because it is a large-scale highly-visible project, it is likely this recommendation would go to the Sustainability Council, which we hope will meet this November.
8. Finally, I am hoping to start getting regular (at least twice per year) Project Updates in the iCAP Portal for projects with the status “In Progress.”  Is it possible for your SWATeam to help with this effort?  I believe it would be a matter of looking at the iCAP Portal theme page (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/themes/procurement-waste), clicking expand all, and reviewing the information on each of the twelve “In Progress” projects.  If it doesn’t have a recent update, then someone on your team could reach out to the contact person and get an update to post. 

Also, for your info, there is a pending recommendation for hiring a full-time Zero Waste Coordinator.  The iCAP Working Group will discuss this at our first meeting this fall.

Thank you so much for your help with all of this!  Having students, faculty, and staff working together to advance the iCAP has been a wonderful help, and I am eager to work with you this year.  Sorry again for being unable to attend on Monday.

All my best,

Morgan

===============================

Ms. Morgan White

Associate Director of F&S, Sustainability

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

148B Physical Plant Service Building, MC-800

1501 S. Oak, Champaign, IL 61820

217-333-2668 mbwhite@illinois.edu

http://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu

The Campus Administrative Manual (CAM) could have an updated waste minimization policy like the attached.  However, this puts both aspects of zero waste in a single policy, even though they are in separate areas of campus responsibility.  It may be better to have a recycled-content paper purchasing policy, and a separate use the recycling bins waste management policy.

SmilePolitely picked it up. http://www.smilepolitely.com/splog/theres_a_new_website_for_campus_bicyclers/

The purchase order was completed for piloting the GreenQ monitoring system.

Facilities & Services Waste Management handles trash and recycling pick-up for the majority of campus facilities.  The exterior garbage and recycling dumpsters are emptied on a regular schedule, by campus drivers working for the Waste Transfer Station.  As of Fall 2014, there was no tracking for the waste volumes within individual trash or recycling dumpsters. 

This pilot program will install wireless sensors in the dumpsters for a certain area on campus.  The depth of the trash in the dumpsters will be shared online with the F&S personnel, which will allow data analysis of waste generation sites for the first time on campus at the large scale level.  The pilot area is the land bordered by Goodwin Avenue, Illinois Street, Lincoln Avenue, and Oregon Street.  This area includes 8 dumpsters. 

• Sensor website

1,075 Carbon Credits (CCs) were sold to BEF @ $6.25/CC.

This sale resulted in $6,718.75 being added to the Carbon Credit Sales Fund.

An email explaining the sale is attached below.

An email with transaction information is attached below.

Update on Dean's approval of recommendation on unification of Best Management Practices; discussion on writing Student Sustainability Committee funding proposal for nitrate monitoring

The existing Bicycle Code for the University was effective since May 1, 1989, (read the 1989 Bike Code here) although enforcement of the code has varied greatly.  The 2013 draft update of the Bike Code resulted from several conversations about bicycle enforcement and the need for better policies, beginning in the Fall of 2012 and Spring of 2013.

The updated code is more comprehensive and detailed, and is an important part of aknowledging the rights and responsibilities of cyclists on campus. The draft code was released for public comment in early September. The following timeline outlines the key dates going forward for having the new bike code to officially replace the 1989 version, before enforcement can begin. 

Timeline: 

• September, 2013: The new draft bike code is available for public comment/feedback  (submit feedback here)
• October-November, 2013: The new bike code will be finalized for adoption into the Campus Administration Manual
• September, 2013-March, 2014: Increased educational efforts will inform campus cyclists about the policy changes before enforcement begins
• Fall 2014: Enforcement of the new Bicycle Code will begin Fall 2014.

Campus Landscape Architect Brent Lewis provided the attached planting plan and the following comments on the plan, for review by Chi Omega representatives.

1. We have many trees in this very small garden, who are all fighting for water and nutrient resources here.  We have lost a few trees already and the cherries that are left don’t look as good as we would like them.  Around each tree we will just install a mulched area.  This will serve to reduce some competition from the woodland plants and the trees.  You can really notice that now as we are late summer and the geraniums that should still be up have dried out and greatly dissipated.  Adding mulch will also give the sense of some order when a maintained edge is present in the beds.  However, this will be a good area to include some early spring ephemerals like Blue Bells or Spring Beauty as they will thrive when the moisture is there, but no longer compete when the trees are out-competing for water.
2. Currently there are no shrubs in this garden.  Adding them to the plan does a few things for us. For one, it adds some structure to the garden.  With them, we will have a mid-level plant that serves to punctuate some areas, and to form a backdrop to other areas.  They will also add some winter interest to this garden, which is currently missing.  Lastly, they assist in our effort to reduce the maintenance in the garden by taking up larger amounts of space, while simultaneously keeping the weeds at bay as they shade them out.
3. Another design element that is not obvious in the current design is a return to matched plantings at the sidewalk entries.  In the new plan I am putting matching plants on either side of each walk.  This leads the eye and the brain to connect one side of the garden to the next, thus rendering it as a more cohesive whole.  Regardless of the plant used, the average person understands this and will perceive this as an intentional garden, versus the state it is in now.  
4. Adding to the above, I am also using plants along the main east-west walk that most anyone will know.  Regardless of what is planted behind them, people will see plants that they have in their yard, and are accustomed to seeing.  They may not know Baptisia or Penstemon, but they know coneflowers and hostas, which they will see first and assist them in understanding this garden as a planted space and less of a question mark (when they can’t quickly tell what is supposed to be there).

Hi Pete and Shawn,

• Morgan finalized plans for a glove recycling meeting with the Division of Research Safety to discuss whether training may be needed to prevent gloves that have been in contact with harmful chemicals going into the recycling stream. Our instructions for participating labs note that gloves that such gloves cannot be recycled, but we want to discuss whether further instruction or training should take place. The call is scheduled for Sept. 4.
• I posted glove recycling statistics that Kimberly-Clark sent us in the spring and back-dated the entry accordingly (April 10, 2018).

Best regards,

Marya Ryan

Zero Waste Coordinator