University of Illinois Facilities & Services, in coordination with the Office of Sustainability, has developed a recycling program for single-use alkaline batteries. Battery recycling kits containing blue plastic pails were sent out to participants. Participants in the program simply fill the containers with used batteries and follow the instructions for securing and shipping once they are full. Tracking information is then recording on an excel sheet.

Recycling is done through an outside vendor, Battery Solutions. This vendor accepts single-use (AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V). Battery Solutions also accepts button cells and lithium primary batteries, but leaking lead acid batteries are not accepted and should be disposed of through the Division of Research Safety. Batteries should be individually bagged or have their terminals tapped before being placed in the Battery Solutions container. Each 55-pound container of batteries is sent through FedEx. The cost for the each container to complete the process is $84. The program is funded by Facilities & Services, as to not incur any costs to participating departments.

This differs from the previous plan, in which the campus only offered recycling for rechargeable batteries.

Initial campus recycling locations are at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), the Illini Union, the Physical Plant Services Building, and the School of Vet Med. Departments are encouraged and expected to use the recycling program, as well.

Facilities & Services has committed to funding a campus-wide battery recycling program, up to $10,000 per fiscal year.  The program was launched in the Spring of 2012 with four locations on campus that accept specific types of rechargeable batteries as well as single-use alkaline batteries.  Two vendors are used to collect and recycle the batteries: Call2Recycle, which accepts rechargeable batteries at no charge to the University; and Battery Solutions, which accepts single-use alkaline batteries and charges for collection.

F&S Environmental Compliance will no longer be tracking the total rechargeable battery recycling for campus.  Individual departments can now work directly with Call2Recycle in order to recycle these rechargeable batteries.

Eric Heineman (former Sustainability Director for Governor Pat Quinn) is now working at Nissan.  He said, "We are interested in setting up some Ride and Drive (test drives), some sort of university employee/alumni discount for all employees, and just raise greater awareness of Electric Vehicles in Urbana-Champaign."

HI All,

Please see the attached agenda for Monday’s meeting.  It has been great working with you this year.

Cheers,

Bart

Last chance to learn about solar at a Power Hour tomorrow at Common Ground

John Marlin (from Illinois Sustainable Technology Center) reported that the planting projects using SSC and ISEE grants are progressing well.

The majority of the large honeysuckle was removed from the South Arboretum Woods, mostly by the fecon machine at a cost of $20,000. Student workers (mainly NRES and ESE) are taking out the remainder with hand tools and chainsaws and finishing the resprouts and seedlings with limited applications of herbicide. The woods was actually a former research plot where many species of trees were planted in blocks very close together. A number of trees will have to be removed in order to allow for the others to grow well and to let light penetrate to the ground.

They also spent some time planting and weeding at plots at the Natural Resources Building, Burrill Hall, the Florida Orchard prairie and Lincoln Ave Residence (LAR) Hall. LAR contributed some funds toward planting.

A Boy Scout Eagle Project was conducted at the woods.  They worked on three occasions removing garlic mustard and honeysuckle.   The Master Naturalists have also put in quite a few hours.

Construction of a 5.87 megawatt (MW) Solar Farm on campus is under construction, after university and state officials approved power purchase and land lease agreements with Phoenix Solar South Farms, LLC.

Once installed, the Solar Farm will be one of the largest on-site university arrays in the country, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency statistics, producing 7.86 million kilowatt-hours per year, or approximately two percent of the electrical demand for the Urbana campus in fiscal year 2015.

Facilities & Services Executive Director Al Stratman said, “We are very pleased to see this long awaited agreement completed and signed, so the installation can begin. This unique and challenging project was only made possible through the dedication of many people working together and focused on achieving our renewable energy goals.”

In 2008, the chancellor signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, pledging to be carbon neutral by 2050. As a part of this commitment, specific goals for energy conservation and renewable energy were outlined in the 2010 Illinois Climate Action Plan. The Solar Farm will contribute toward the renewable energy used on campus for at least twenty years.

"The Solar Farm represents the success of numerous efforts, including those made by the many hard-working students committed to advancing renewable energy and environmental sustainability,” said Amy Liu, chair of the Student Sustainability Committee. “Its construction will be a historic project and a source of great pride for campus."

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The 20.8 acre solar farm, to be located along the south side of Windsor Road between First Street and the railroad tracks, was first approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees in November 2012.

The Student Sustainability Committee funding commitment is attached here.

Alexia can’t make it to Monday’s meeting so she has forwarded an update from her meeting with Housing about the Eco Olympics.

As a part of B.K. Sharma’s research methodology, he will need a sample and will test it at the zero minute, 1 minute, 5 minute, 30 minute, 60 minutes, and 240 minute interval.

Japan is now implementing floating solar farms, on large bodies of water.  The water keeps the panels cooler than ambient temperature, so they are more efficent.

Rain gardens and barrels needed for study

We will be conducting a study regarding the ability of residential rain gardens and rain barrels to harbor mosquitoes. We are looking for households with rain gardens or rain barrels to participate in the study. The study will involve a brief survey regarding use and approximately one visit per month throughout the summer. Please email stormwater@life.illinois.edu to participate.

Catherine Elizabeth Wangen . Department of Entomology

We recently started testing (about mid-April) in our PAR (Pennsylvania Residence Halls).  Joe Glass, our Superintendent of Building Services will follow up with you.  I am interested in the independent testing. - John Humlicek