Spring 2018 semesterly report submitted to the Student Sustainability Committee for the hand sink replacement, tortilla expansion, juicing processing, pumpkin puree, and extrusion expansion projects.

Amanda Elzbieciak, IGG workshop manager recently updated our impact statistics document. See attached.  As of July 2018, through repair assistance and collection of special materials (e.g. single-use and rechargeable batteries, CDs and their cases) the project has diverted 740.88 lbs. of material from the waste stream. ISTC will not be continuing as the coordinating agency. I'm working with Amanda to explore options for transitioning the project to a different unit on campus and will post any updates on that as they become available. - Joy Scrogum

Main topic of discussion was about drafting Student Sustainability Committee funding proposal for Parking Department for green stormwater infrastructure as part of next Lot F23 renovation

With the students back in town for the semester, Marya Ryan re-contacted the Business in Environmental Responsibility (BER) volunteers she spoke with in the spring. The volunteers are helping with the glove recycling program. Over the summer, they identified contacts for nonparticipating departments with $2,000 or more in nitrile glove purchases for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2017-2018. Ryan 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 F&S's work with the Division of Research Safety. Ryan also asked whether they could help identify teaching coordinators in the teaching labs to assist with that work.

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.

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

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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.