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Project Updates

  1. Education iCAP Team November Meeting

    The Education iCAP Team had its online November meeting on Monday, November 7th, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM. The team worked on drafting a new Sustainability in Study Abroad recommendation. The team will continue to revise the recommendation and have it ready for iWG to review at their December meeting. Meeting minutes are attached. 

  2. Zero Waste iCAP Meeting 11/7/2022

    On November 7th, the Zero Waste iCAP team met to discuss DIA sustainability initiatives with Tim Knox and made edits on the Project 4 Less expansion recommendation to be submitted in the coming month(s). 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

  3. Land & Water iCAP Meeting 11/7/2022

    On November 7th, the Land and Water iCAP team met to review the results of the Milkweed survey, make final edits to the Monarch Butterfly recommendation, and discuss new recommendations inspired by the Campus Landscape Master Plan.

    Meeting minutes are attached.

  4. 11-7-22 Internal Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 

    On November 7, UIUC sustainability representatives met and discussed the following:

    1. Digital signage rendering — feedback?

      1. Making the tagline “Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste” bigger.

      2. Reducing Coca-Cola script.

      3. Adding logos of iSEE and F&S.

      4. Add Certified Green Event logo?

    2. Volunteer sign up sheet — we have reached 49 student volunteers!

      1. Volunteer training — added into the vision and roadmap document.

        1. Daphne (+ potentially F&S interns) will be attending the November 11th game to see how basketball games operate.

    3. Event has been advertised on Eweek, iNews, and GradLink as of this Sunday (11-6).

    4. YAH Agency: content capture at the basketball game — sending a film crew.

    5. State Farm Center: blue bags.

      1. Shawn & Daphne attempting to get blue recycling bags implemented at State Farm Center ahead of the November 14th game (potentially by the November 11th game).

        1. Allow us to benchmark general recycling at a basketball game (we don’t currently have this) vs a highly engaged, recycling-focused event.

    6. The basketball game is a Certified Green Event!

      1. Would iSEE able to advertise this?

    7. 10 question pre-game trivia: will be posted on the game day app.

    8. Post-game feedback questions — reached out to Marty.

    9. Solar picnic tables:

      1. Need dimensions from Jake to check with F&S storage space.

      2. Concern: do we know if ARC would even end up approving the design, come spring?

    10. OSU MyCup survey results?

  5. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - November 4, 2022

    Associated Project(s): 

    Discussion:

    • Invoices in project updates - decided to make future invoices private, and make the current invoices private as well.

    Done:

    • Related Files section on project pages: show as list rather than cards, add spacing between items, remove bullet points
    • Reorganize Collections pages (example on dev)
      • Keep project listing in top left
      • Move map to lower left
      • Move Updates to top right, show 10
      • Move Hierarchy to just below Project Listing, link to hierarchy in separate page rather than loading in current page to speed up page loading time (NOTE: hierarchy page still needs work)

    TODOs:

    • Make current invoice documents private
    • Fancy project layout mockups - keep tweaking #3 to improve contrast
    • Collections page:
      • Put Project embed and Project Updates embed below their respective listings
      • Put each embed in a collapsible section
      • Add image upload option
    • Discuss metrics
      • Metrics with lots of data
      • Consider how to handle old metrics that no longer track new data. Archive somehow?
      • Fun with math (e.g. combining multiple metrics)
      • Calculated Metrics on Dev site
    • Use "Take Action" project to encourage students to get involved with sustainability (link from homepage?)
    • Track down and resolve informational message on full listing page for Project Updates by Key Objective (see, e.g. Projects Updates for key objective: 1.0 iCAP 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan)
    • Why is the Achieve Zero Waste project map page not loading?
  6. 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 of completion for the Plastic Reduction Challenge. As mentioned many times throughout the challenge, we hope you consider checking out the Waste Reduction @ Illinois Facebook group to stay connected with fellow participants, start a discussion, hear about the latest sustainability opportunities at U of I and beyond, and share tips for living sustainably going forward.

    This morning, we used a random name generator to choose three winners of the challenge. As a reminder, you received one entry for every week you participated in the challenge. The winners are Olivia Cloat, Janet Jarvis, and Susan Krusemark! Winners, we will contact you on how to receive your prize! Congratulations to you three and, of course, to all participants! We hope you enjoyed your time during the challenge! We sure did!

    Again, we offer our congratulations to each of you for completing this challenge. We know it was time-intensive and not always easy, but it was certainly worth it. Being an environmental hero does not have to be changing the world with a single action. You are an environmental hero by reducing your own environmental footprint and helping others do the same. Write to your politicians, store managers, or leaders, and encourage them to prioritize sustainability. Show that there is a demand for these initiatives. Building a culture of sustainability on our campus and in our world starts with you!

    Looking for a place to start (or should we say continue this great momentum)?

    • Join the Zero-Waste iCAP Team or another iCAP team of your interest.

    • If you ever find yourself using plastic, sign the Use The Bin pledge to vow you’ll always recycle. 

    • Celebrate America Recycles Day by joining the TED Talk Discussion on November 15th. Register here!

    As always, please reach out to us with any questions, comments, or feedback, and stay tuned for more exciting events in the future. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

     

    Take care!

    Meredith Moore, iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager

    Emily Dickett and Jenna Schaeder, iSEE Sustainability Interns

  7. November CCNet

    Below is an email exchange between Alec McKay, Meredith Moore, Morgan White, and Daphne Hulse:

    Hi Meredith & Stacy!

     

    I hope y’all are doing well.

     

    I’m gathering some info for the November ccnet.

    What do you guys think should be included in it?

     

    Happy Halloween!

    ~Alec

    -----------------------------

    Hi Alec!

    iSEE’s monthly TED Talk will be held on 11/15 for America Recycles Day (the Zero Waste basketball game will be held the evening beforehand at the State Farm Center on 11/14).

     

    Here is the Zoom link registration for the TED Talk on 11/15 at 7 PM. All details about the event can be found on the registration webpage. Let me know if you have any questions.

     

    Thanks!
    Meredith

    ------------------------

    Hi Alec,

     

    We should highlight America Recycles Day.  Daphne, can you please provide some background information (I know you may have to find it first), for Alec to include in the CCNet newsletter for November, which he will send out on Monday?

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

    -----------------------------

     

    Hi Morgan and Alec,

     

    Yes! Happy to provide some background.

     

    America Recycles Day, also referred to as National Recycling Day, is the signature recycling program of the national nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful since 2009. It is observed each year on November 15. The first national celebration occurred on November 15, 1997, making this year the 25th anniversary. The purpose of the observation is to educate and encourage individuals to mindfully consume and highlight how to properly recycle within their local community. As the organization is national, local chapters are encouraged to hold their own community events during this time. Keep Champaign Beautiful held a Boneyard Creek Cleanup event from 10am to noon on October 29 in celebration.

     

    America Recycles Day has an ongoing #BeRecycled pledge that anyone can sign. It has nearly 90,000 cumulative signatures. The pledge is a three-fold commitment:

    1. Find out what materials are collected for recycling in your community,
    2. Reduce the amount of waste you produce and increase the amount of waste you recycle, and
    3. Encourage those in your social circles to also take the #BeRecycled pledge.

     

    The university will also be celebrating this year. On November 14th, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics; the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment; Facilities & Services; and Coca-Cola are partnering for the men’s basketball game at State Farm Center. The partners are working together to:

    1. Directly impact Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) Objective 5.2 “reduce the total campus waste going to landfills by at least 10% [from our benchmark],”
    2. Increase public awareness for campus recycling and the iCAP, and
    3. Encourage behavior change among basketball game attendees when they are presented with the opportunity to recycle.

     

    Let me know if there is anything else you need help with.

     

    Thank you,

    Daphne

     

  8. 11-2-22 External Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 

    On November 2, UIUC sustainability representatives met with Coca-Cola and discussed the following:

    • T-shirt renderings: 50 green volunteer shirts, 200 orange giveaway shirts.

      • Volunteer shirts: adding organizational logos from iSEE, F&S, DIA, and Coca-Cola to the back of the shirt.

      • Giveaway shirt: “Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste” tag phrase.

      • Cost and shipping estimates:

        • $115 shipping.

        • ~$2500 shirts.

        • Shipped to Daphne at F&S.

        • Delivered 11/1, Friday before the game.

      • Blue PMS 2767. Orange PMS 7417

    • Sustainability fund: $10k for this year (~$2500 used for this game).

      • Final number on this?

    • Solar picnic tables:

      • Jake will get dimensions of the boxes to see if F&S can store them.

      • Todd (fonts, colors, part-time).

      • Architectural Review Committee (outdoor spaces).

    • Digital advertising:

      • Updates?

    • Recycling receptacle at State Farm Center:

      • Will be put in place next to the trash compactor below the center. We will be able to separate the two and determine a diversion rate after game day.

      • Temporary, not the permanent solution. There are spatial limitations to work through.

    • Blue bags at SFC: final piece.

      • Collecting bottles and cans with liquid during game day will not be an issue.

  9. Coca Cola Sustainability Funding Expectations and Language

    Associated Project(s): 

    Attached is a portion of a contract proposal with Coca-Cola's responses.

    Below is an email exchange between Morgan White, Aaron Finder, and Daphen Hulse:

    Hi Jake,

     

    I hope your week is off to a good start. Based on our internal meeting yesterday, we have some action items we would like to put on the docket to address on Wednesday/discuss through email as needed.

     

    • Sustainability Funds
      • How will we be funding the volunteer t-shirts for the Zero Waste Basketball Event?
      • For the campuswide Don’t Waste campaign, how is the YAH Agency’s involvement being funded?
      • Circular Solutions Audit: I believe you mentioned this was an item to discuss tomorrow; clarification on cost/who will be funding is appreciated!

     

    • Zero Waste Basketball Event
      • We have a basic vision and roadmap document drafted, and we are eager to add detailed action items (some details will come after F&S visits State Farm Center; I am awaiting a response from the State Farm Center point of contact).
        • We would like to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each entity involved in this event, including Coca-Cola.
        • Determining how many Coca-Cola bins we will need for State Farm Center.
        • The group at the internal meeting reviewed the updated digital signage. For clarification, is it correct that the darker blue used for the signage is not the brighter, royal blue being used on the updated bins?

     

    I know that the YAH Agency is awaiting our response as well – I will make sure we get an email back to them today!

     

    Thank you,

     

    Daphne

    ----------------------------------------

    Hi Aaron,

     

    We would like to get clarity about the Coca-cola funding for sustainability and how it is allocated.  Jake Slager told us recently (within the last few weeks) that the campus had funded the cardboard landfill and recycling bins that they provided to us for the Welcome Week ceremony. 

     

    Could you please talk with Daphne Hulse, the new Zero Waste Coordinator, to provide clarity about what Coke promised about the “sustainability funding”?  We would like to establish shared expectations with them about how and when those dollars are spent.  That is, can we reach an understanding with Coke that we will jointly agree in advance on which projects/items are funded out of this “sustainability funding” in the Coke contract?

     

    Also, Jen, Meredith, and I understood from you that the sustainability funding is $15K per year, but Jake said it is $10k/year.  Can you please confirm which one is correct?

     

    Thank you,

    Morgan

    --------------------------------------

    Hi Morgan,

     

    Answers to your questions, including specific contract language, were emailed on April 7th, attached. $10,000 is the correct amount. The contract was written with the intent that the campus Zero Waste Coordinator would be charged with having these discussions with Coca-Cola and defining a mutual agreed upon process. In my opinion, this would include determining where sustainability funds are used. Questions about the approval of funding would have to be submitted to the contract owner, VC for Admin and Operations, Mike DeLorenzo.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Aaron M Finder, mba cppb

  10. Nov 10th Meeting Space + Logistics

    Below is an email between Sarthak Prasad, Sterling Laylock, Morgan White, and Carl Tutt:

    Hi Sterling,

     

    Do you know where (which hotel) your guests would be staying for the November 10 all-day workshop? Also, how many people would you expect to attend and how many would require/like the shuttle option? Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you,
    Sarthak

     

    Sarthak Prasad

    ------------------------

    Hi Sarthak,

     

    We are confirming the list of attendees and expect to have a count for you by mid-week. During that process we will verify if any attendees plan on arriving/departing by Amtrak.

     

    I'll be sure to update you asap!

     

    Thanks, Sterling

    -------------------------

    Hi Sarthak + Morgan

     

    As it turns out, there aren't any attendees opting in to arrive by Amtrak. So there does not appear to be a need for the shuttle. Unfortunate but true.

     

    So far, there is a very high-level of interest in this event among attendees. This recent segment that appeared earlier this week on NBC4 Los Angeles made a significant positive impact on everyone.

     

    How IGT2030 Creates Positive Impacts:

    Latest List of Attendees

    To date, we have 35+ confirmed attendees. There is a mix of subject matter experts and non-subject matter experts. They consist of HVAC professionals, engineers, architects, teachers, public officials (elected and non-elected), corporate energy-efficiency executives, industrial hygienists, state and county staff (IL EPA, Dept of Treasury, Cook County), climate investors, K-12 school officials, etc.

     

    Of course, Erik Malmstrom, CEO of SafeTraces will be attending and William P. Bahnfleth, Chair of ASHRAE Covid Epidemic Task Force will stream in via ZOOM to kickoff our Design-Thinking Session after lunch.

     

    On Campus Attendees

    Members for Paul Francisco's team at ICRT will be attending and sharing impactful human-centered health data. When you get an opportunity, please let me know who the potential on-campus attendees may be?

     

    It would be great if we could set up a call for this coming Monday as we continue to tie down any loose ends.

     

    I'd like to send the official invite on Tuesday, Nov 1st at the latest.

     

    Thanks, Sterling

    -------------------------------------

    Hi Morgan,

     

    I chatted with Sarthak now that he's gotten back home to India.

     

    We're hoping to get the exact location and address of our meeting space for next Thursday November 10th so we can send out the formal invitation.

     

    We have 35 plus attendees confirmed and need to get them proper logistics instructions.

     

    Please let us know as soon as you can. We look forward to seeing you on Tues/Wed Nov 8th/9th to see the space.

     

    If there's an actual floor plan we can see beforehand it would be greatly appreciated.

     

    Thank you, Sterling 

  11. Weekly Update: Reduced hours, Working Bikes this week

    All, While my jury duty service was still in effect, we had reduced hours as needed last week but were able to open fully Wed – Fri. It was the first week of noticeably fewer folks through the doors. As such, we got a few bikes on the sales floor and a dozen or so moved over from storage.

    Tomorrow we will host Working Bikes for our donation event. This is the first one since Nov 2019. We’ll have around 200 bikes to donate and hopefully will have a few folks available to help out and make it go quicker. They’ll be providing pizza for us, too. This event will halve the number of bikes left in storage. The Bike Project and I will sort through the remaining bikes in the coming weeks.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 43
    Sales: $475.50
    Build-a-Bikes: 2 for $100
    Memberships: 4 for $120

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

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