Category Archives: IWU in Action

Sustainability projects and progress on campus.

Green Demolition

In a few weeks, the University will raze a house it has acquired on McLean Street. As has been Wesleyan’s practice, the Old House Society will go through the house and remove anything they can use.

In addition, for the first time, the University will take advantage of a new construction material recycling operation that has opened in Bloomington. Kirk Demolition will remove the house and should be able to recycle approximately 70 percent of the materials.

This is very new to our area and we will evaluate the process. (The University is not endorsing the contractor or the process.) Kirk Demolition plans to video the process for its website.

Recycling Results

The “mega recycling event” conducted on Nov. 19 at Illinois Wesleyan, targeting non-traditional recyclables in conjunction with America Recycles Day and co-sponsored by IWU Wellness, the Ecology Action Center and Home Sweet Home Ministries, drew 302 cars of participants during the five-hour event.

The collected tally was 34 pallet loads of electronics, eight pallet loads of clothing and textiles, and three pallet loads of miscellaneous small appliances, in addition to batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs and plastic garden pots.

If you missed the event, items can be recycled throughout the year at various locations.

Composting Food Waste

Sodexo reports that nearly 66,000 pounds of food waste from Bertholf Commons and the Sodexo kitchen was diverted from landfills during the spring 2011 semester, through the new community composting initiative. This initiative, launched in late January, allows compostable materials to be picked up by Midwest Fiber; the composted dirt is then used at the Illinois State University Farm near Lexington.

America Recycles Day: Mega Recycling Event

Saturday, Nov. 19, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Shirk Center Parking Lot

IWU Wellness and the Ecology Action Center want to help make recycling easier for you on America Recycles Day. While most families recycle the usual — plastic food containers, glass bottles, newspapers — what about other items?

Well, for one day only, you can recycle ‘the other’ recyclables all in one place, all at the same time. Start planning now to bring us your:

• Electronics
• Compact fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs)
• Household batteries (alkaline, watch batteries, rechargeable batteries)
• Clothes and textiles (usable or not)
• Shoes (usable or not)
• Plastic garden pots

Licensed recyclers will properly recycle all these items. If you have any questions about acceptable items, please contact IWU Wellness at 556-3334 or the Ecology Action Center at (309) 454-3169.

Sheean Materials Recycled

As Stark Excavating, Inc. demolishes Sheean Library, workers have been separating steel reinforcements from concrete masonry and recycling the materials. Third-party contractors will recycle the metal, while Stark will likely grind up and reuse the concrete masonry and brick in its own future projects, said Physical Plant Director Bud Jorgenson.

In addition, materials such as fluorescent lamps and ballasts were recycled by Springfield Electric before the demolition began.

The reuse of Sheean building materials is among the criteria involved in meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards with the construction of the new main classroom building at the site.

See The Pantagraph report.

Photo Gallery: Campus Prairie Plot

See a new photo gallery of the Campus Prairie Plot, which features native Illinois prairie plants. (Photos by University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian Meg Miner.)

A student initiative, the prairie plot was planted in the spring of 2009 on the southwest side of the Center for Natural Science. All of the seeds were collected, bought, or donated by Illinois Wesleyan students and members of the community. The native plants are resistant to drought and provide important wildlife habitat.

Campus Arboretum

The grounds of Illinois Wesleyan flourish with greenery at this time of year, with spring rains awakening the approximately 1,200 trees representing nearly 150 species and cultivars on our 80-acre campus. Thanks to Groundsman Art Killian, the variety of trees at Illinois Wesleyan are catalogued and newly photographed on the Campus Tree Map — a treasure map for the amateur arborist.