This week, Aparna reviewed all of the past BFU Applications submitted to compare the progress over the years. The same was discussed and gone over again with Sarthak to help with the comments and notes made by her on the applications for a more thorough understanding. The next steps would be to start filling out the application for 2023. Aparna has been added by Sarthak Prasad to help with the submission for BFU: Bicycle Friendly University 2023. 

On November 28, 2022 during the weekly Internal Coca-Cola meeting the group reviewed the attached final report.

Important takeaways:

• 280 lbs of recycling was collected (cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles), with an event diversion rate of 10.6%. With just incremental changes (student volunteers, recycling bin infrastructure in the upper concourse, and the implementation of blue recycling bags), we achieved this! An even greater diversion rate would not be difficult to achieve.
• Organizing student volunteers into a shift-based system would cut volunteer time per student, streamline the volunteer training process, and simplify volunteer roles. We could incentivize pre- and post-game volunteerism with tickets to the game.
• Stronger, more durable blue recycling bags are needed for future events if we are going to have student volunteers handling them; they leak easily otherwise.
• Dedicate a group of volunteers to just post-game collection from the stands. There is a huge opportunity to collect recyclables left in the cup holders.
• Feedback from volunteers and attendees was very positive:
  • In a post-event survey released to attendees, 300+ responses showed the following:
    • 51% of attendees were aware that this was a recycling-focused event.
    • 55% of attendees did recycle their bottles and/or cans.
    • 83% of attendees would support future recycling events at State Farm Center.
    • General comments indicated overall support for seeing the volunteers in action and support for the implementation of permanent recycling containers at the facility.

Next steps:

• Between F&S and DIA, determine how a recycling receptacle can be placed near the facility so blue recycling bags can be separated from the trash compactor located below the facility.
• Draft a proposal for permanent recycling bin locations and the associated cost.
• Look into Coca-Cola beverage sales (20oz and 12oz) and compare this to an estimate of how many were recycled. Coca-Cola and the University would like to see a 100% recycling rate for their products.
• Plan for the next event! Likely spring 2023 during the basketball season. Big Ten?

On November 16, 2022 Mark Herman, iSEE's Media Lab Coordinator, published a YouTube video outlining the event.

On November 17, 2022 staff writer Jacob Slabosz published the story 'Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste' event helps UI recycle.

The ZW003 GreenerOffice Delivery Service is going smoothly. Amy Husted let Meredith Moore know that we no longer need to enroll in such a program, we just look for the following icons when making purchases.

The Sustainability Sub-Council met on Thursday, November 17 and discussed the following agenda. 

1) Zero waste
2) Energy planning
3) Campus Strategic Plan
4) Old business
a. Sustainability General Education requirement
b. Sustainable land management committee report

The meeting minutes and PowerPoint presentation are attached. 

Tour for Parkland College

The next steps for the project progress would be to review the past BFU applications from 2011 - 2019 to understand the stage we as a university are at currently and would help to identify, compare and contrast the work across these timelines to improve the status and make recommendations after reviewing the feedback. 

In the past weeks,  Aparna reviewed the  BFU Application to understand the scope of work, did research/literature review work, and familiarized herself with the current initiatives taken by the university at present to combat bike thefts. Moreover, she also had a conversation with a transportation staff from UCLA and ASU who had recently reached out to me on their ideas/approach on this topic for a qualitative aspect of this project. The same was also discussed with her capstone advisor, Prof. Lindsay Braun to go over the progress and find better clarity. 

For student group interested in learning about MRFs.

(Samuel Hurh, student)

Thank you for volunteering for the inaugural Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste event on 11/14! You were among more than 45 other student volunteers who helped initiate recycling within State Farm Center! The community-level work you have done to raise awareness for sustainability has helped us strengthen our relationship with Athletics and the fans who attended the game.

During this event, you helped divert 280 pounds of recyclable material away from the landfill! In total, roughly 11% of the materials consumed at this event were diverted away from the landfill. With this being our very first event, this is something to be extremely proud of. We can only go up from here!

Make sure to check out the video highlight reel that the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) produced. Did you take any photos of your own during the event? Please upload them to our shared Google Drive folder!

Are you interested in joining other sustainability initiatives on campus?

• Join the Zero Waste Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) Team or browse through the other 6 teams.
• Sign the Use the Bin pledge and commit to always using the recycling bin. We’re working towards our 10,000-signature goal!
• Sign up for iSEE’s final Illini Lights Out event this semester on 12/2.
• Sign up for iSEE’s upcoming TED Talk discussion on 12/5 to learn about healthy soils.

Thank you again for volunteering your time. Please reach out with any questions, feedback, or ideas for future events.

Sincerely,
Daphne Hulse

[11.7.22] All, Last week we completed the bike donation event with Working Bikes. Thanks to some Bike Project volunteers we were able to pack their truck full of bikes in about an hour and a half. Unfortunately, they were unable to take all of the abandoned bikes as there are about 50 left. I’ll work with TBP to deal with the remaining junk bikes as well as the ~200 we’ll keep for refurbishment.

Last Thursday we were donated another pull-behind trailer, upping our count to 3 of them now. I will discuss with TBP ideas to make better use of these, as they take up a lot of space and we have zero demand for them.

This week we will reinstate the First Visit Free policy as the cooler weather sets in.

The numbers:

Visitors: 47

Sales: $508
Bike (refurbished): 1 for $225
Memberships: 1 for $30
Tires/tubes: 12 for $61

[11.14.22]

All, I was out sick for a portion of the non-open hours, but we were still able to get a few bikes on the sales floor and strip some bikes. This week I’ll grab some more of the good bikes from the barn and we’ll get to fixing those. We reinstated First Visit Free and were able to help folks get rolling.

I had an interview last Friday with a potential new hire and we’ll be having a staff meeting this week to get some of our new staff up to speed as well as provide a refresher for the returning staffers.

Next week we will be closed for Thanksgiving break. We’ll reopen Monday, 11/28/22.

The numbers:

Visitors: 45
Sales: $434
Bikes (refurb): 1 for $100
Memberships: 4 for $120
Tires/tubes: 8 for $103

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center Coordinator