Today recycling containers were placed on the trash bin at Ikenberry Commons. The purpose is to collect and recycle all the nitrile gloves used by food service employees. The weight of the gloves will be recorded to measure environmental impact.
ISTC now has a Bike Rack made out of recycled gloves on display in their atrium. This is an example of what can be created with the gloves recycled through the Kimberly-Clark glove recycling program.
The Nitrile Glove Recycling Program is an expansion of a preliminary pilot program performed by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). The initial pilot program collected gloves used in the laboratory setting in one central location. Gloves were collected from individual ISTC laboratories once a week into a larger collection container, and were stockpiled until there was sufficient volume to ship to the supplier. This project expands the pilot test to several more buildings on campus as a stepping stone to eventually serving the entire campus.
Blake Ashley from Kimberley Clark spoke with Shantanu Pai. Blake said they thought we are doing Labs, and Shantanu is going to work on implementing it at RAL, CLSL, and Housing. Tanya from Fisher is working with Shantanu on this project. RAL has a meeting being scheduled on June 23.
Shantanu Pai and Madeline (an ISTC intern) are taking over the implementation of the Nitrile Glove Recycling program at Housing Dining Services, after Seth Reints left the university. Shantanu has 24 containers that can hang on the edge of Dining's slim containers. Dawn Aubrey also needs containers that hang on the edge of the larger brute containers. Madeline has created a 3-D printed prototype, which will be sent to Shantanu's contact in Canada for replication.
Morgan provided Shantanu with the information that Seth had received or provided to SSC.
Hi Bart,
Please touch base with Seth about KCP glove recycling, to get up to speed on the program they are using at ISTC. Then work with lab store managers around campus to help them implement the program. We will need a tracking system to be able to report on campus efforts, so find out if KCP will provide us with annual volumes or if we have to do it ourselves. You can also touch base with Olof Westerstahl in Corporate Relations to get up to speed on any conversations he has had with KCP.
Thanks,
Morgan
