Category Archives: IWU in Action

Sustainability projects and progress on campus.

New Textile Drop-Off

Wellness is now providing a convenient, continuous way to move out the clothes and textile clutter in your closet.

Home Sweet Home Ministries (HSHM) is providing us with a collection bin just outside of the Wellness Office at Shirk Center.

You can now drop off unwanted clothing, textiles and shoes. These items will go back to HSHM and be sorted.

Usable items will be sold in the Mission Mart, and items past their useful life will be recycled into new textiles and goods. All the proceeds from these efforts go to assist the homeless members of our community.

If you have any questions, please contact Wellness at ext. 3334 or wellness@iwu.edu

Additionally, if you have winter coats or winter wear to give away, Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity will be collecting these items for the Salvation Army during the week of Oct. 22-26. Drop-offs will be in the CNS atrium, in Hansen Student Center and at the Memorial Center front desk.

Got Compost?

Over the past few months several off-campus students have approached Peace Garden leaders with an interest in donating their compost to the IWU Peace Garden. The garden could benefit from additional compost and the Peace Garden Registered Student Organization is in full support of the idea.

However, setting up a campus compost collection takes time and planning, so organizers would first like to gauge the level of interest in a compost program.

Faculty and staff who would like to see a program like this put into place are encouraged to send an email to IWUpeacegarden@iwu.edu or rdyar@iwu.edu.

Green Cleaning

Assistant Manager of Custodial Services and GREENetwork member Dale Conover reports a number of sustainability practices used by Physical Plant in the selection of custodial supplies, equipment and procedures. Examples include:

– As equipment is replaced, Green Seal-approved products are chosen. New equipment for cleaning floors in the Shirk Center use less water and chemicals, and the restroom cleaning system is Green Seal approved.

– Cleaning products used on campus are Green Seal approved, including floor cleaner, glass cleaner and hand cleaner. Peroxy is used for carpet and floor cleaning.

– Exterior and interior brush matting at building entrances traps dirt and reduces the need for cleaning, and the cycles for stripping hard floors are extended by scrubbing and recoating.

– Paper products, including hand towels and toilet tissue, are 100 percent recycled product, with 45 percent post-consumer product for the latter.

 

Take Back the Tap

The Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) is offering free IWU water bottles to incoming students who pledge not to buy single-use plastic bottles. The IWU bottles will be available during orientation week, while supplies last.

The SSC received funding from Student Senate for two hydration stations to be placed in CNS and Presser Hall for students to refill their bottles, as part of an ongoing campaign to “take back the tap.”

Campus Copiers are Going Greener

Illinois Wesleyan has contracted with a new provider, CDS Office Technologies, for new Konica-Minolta multi-function copiers. These devices meet international environmental standards, including Energy Star, Japan’s Eco Mark, Germany’s Blue Angel Mark and the Eco Leaf Environmental Label, which is based on a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle.

To help reduce waste, toner levels will be monitored electronically and new cartridges automatically delivered as needed (so they aren’t ordered in over-abundance). Used cartridges and parts will be recycled.

This fall, software will be implemented that offers feedback about the carbon emissions produced when selecting various device options. CDS will be working with the campus community in an ongoing effort to help reduce the environmental impact of printing and copying.

IWU Peace Garden

The new IWU Peace Garden has been planted with tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, gourds, beets, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, onion, beans, sugar snap peas, dill, cilantro, tomatillos, squash and potatoes.

The garden — located north of IWU’s practice fields — is dedicated to providing education and fresh produce for the campus and Bloomington-Normal communities. Organizers hope to distribute the produce to Clare House, Sodexo and an on-campus farmers market.

Ryan Dyar ’14, Danny Kenny ’13 and Alex Monzon ’13 are working on the garden as interns for the Action Research Center, under the guidance of Associate Professor of Political Science Jim Simeone and Action Research Center Coordinator Deborah Halperin. Kenny wrote a successful grant request to help support the garden during an Action Research Seminar.

Visit the Peace Garden blog or Facebook page for updates.

Dig in the Dirt

The campus community is invited to help prepare the new IWU Peace Garden for its first planting season on Wednesday, May 16 from 4-7 p.m.

The Peace Garden is located straight north of IWU’s practice fields and directly east of Advocate BroMenn Hospital.

Commuter Challenge

Can you walk, bike, find a carpool buddy, or take the bus to work for a week?

The Good to Go Commuter Challenge is a fun, free, friendly competition among organizations (workplaces, groups and teams) and individuals to commute sustainably.

Everything counts, except driving alone. Registration is now open at gltgoodtogo.com/challenge; the challenge takes place next week (May 12-18).

All participants are eligible to win a $200 Visa gift card.