Tons of Electronics Recycled

From the 850-plus cars that came through the electronics collection point on Saturday, April 9, at the Shirk Center, 50,524 pounds of materials were collected. This is more than double the 23,779 pounds collected at the first electronics recycling event last November.

Sims Recycling has agreed to do a collection again next year on Saturday, April 14, 2012, when the 2012 Illinois Sustainable Living and Wellness Expo is planned. GREENetwork hopes to expand the collection to include small appliances, with cooperation from Morris Tick.

Reduce Printing-Related Costs, Consumption

The multifunction copier/printers installed on campus are more cost efficient and environmentally friendly than individual inkjet printers. Faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of these local network printers instead of using individual desktop machines. You will see substantial savings on replacement ink cartridges, save paper by duplex printing, and help reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, stretching your legs every so often to visit a network printer will be good for your health!

If your local network printer does not print in color, your print job can be uploaded to the Digital Storefront for printing by Printing, Publications and Mailing Services (PPMS). To set up a Digital Storefront account, contact Susan at ext. 3055 or by e-mail at ssombeck@iwu.edu.

Also, remember to take advantage of campus resources when you need printing or copier supplies for your department:

1) Order printer cartridges through Information Technology Services. Their suppliers can save you as much as $200 per cartridge compared to other third-party vendors.

2) It is University policy that all paper be ordered through PPMS, which has negotiated more favorable pricing than an individual department could obtain. All paper ordered by PPMS for copying and printing now contains eucalyptus fibers, a less expensive and more sustainable source than traditional wood pulp. This paper absorbs less moisture and performs better in campus machines. In addition, all University stationery contains 100 percent post-consumer waste, in keeping with Illinois Wesleyan’s commitment to sustainability.

EARTH DAY celebration!

Come to the Earth Day celebratrion on the Sheehan steps (by the Eckley Quad) April 20 from noon to 2 p.m.  FREE for the taking, there will be small bamboo stalks (limited supply–one per person; first come, first served) as well as directions on how to easily make reuseable bags from old T-shirts.  Students are also invited to participate in a “sustainable swap” by bringing gently-used items they no longer want to the Sheehan steps and taking any items, brought by other students, which they would like.  At 2 p.m., items which have been left at the Sheehan steps will be donated to PreShrunk (located in the basement of Adams Hall; open each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2-5 p.m.)

Contact: For more information, please contact Olivia Campbell (ocampbel@iwu.edu) or Vanessa Snyder (vsnyder@iwu.edu).

Spend an hour in a redwood canopy!

Environmental Studies Film Series: A Place in the World

Presents Climbing Redwood Giants

Tuesday, April 5,  7 p.m.

Beckman Auditorium, The Ames Library

Stretching more than 300 feet tall above the ground, California redwoods host ecosystems of their own in their massive crowns.  This film follows obsessive redwood climber Steve Sillett as he investigates the hidden gardens in these primeval trees.  A National Geographic documentary.  50 minutes.

For more information, contact Prof. Sainsbury, x3165 or asainsb@iwu.edu

Want To Start a CAMPUS GARDEN?

The Peace Fellows are pursuing a proposal to the IWU community about starting a campus and community garden.

We would like to have a brainstorming session for students, faculty, staff and community members about what that garden should look like and how it should function to benefit IWU the most.

When: Wednesday, March 30, 4-5:30 p.m.

Where: Davidson Room, Memorial Center

If you cannot make the meeting but would like to contribute your ideas, please email Jessica at jmeyer2@iwu.edu

Earth Hour!

Earth Hour is Saturday, March 26 from 8:30-9:30 p.m.! Participate in the worldwide event by turning off lights and electronics!

Electronics Recycling on April 9

The city of Bloomington, Illinois Wesleyan University and the Ecology Action Center are hosting a free residential electronic recycling event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at the Shirk Center, in conjunction with the Illinois Sustainable Living & Wellness Expo.

Bring up to 10 items to the parking lot just northeast of the Shirk Center, entering the lot from Fell Avenue. The event is sponsored by Sims Recycling Solutions.

Acceptable devices are computers, computer monitors, televisions or printers, mobile telephones, computer cables, mouse, keyboards, fax machines, MP3 players, PDAs, video game consoles, video cassette recorder/players, DVD/CD players or similar video devices, ZIP drive or scanners.

Illinois Sustainability & Wellness Expo on April 9

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Alpacas, solar energy panels and raising chickens in your own backyard – there’s only one place these all fit under one roof, and that’s the Illinois Sustainable Living & Wellness Expo. “Creating Healthy Communities” is the theme for this year’s expo, which will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center (302 E. Emerson St., Bloomington). The event is free and open to the public.

The expo, which is co-sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) and the Ecology Action Center, offers attendees an enjoyable atmosphere to explore exhibitors, workshops, demonstrations, which provide resources to live more sustainably.

“Sustainable living means to discover ways to live healthier, not just on a personal level, but socially, economically and environmentally,” said IWU Wellness Director Missy Smock. “It is indeed about enhancing the health and wellness of all living things, and learning about the intricate connections between our actions and the planet.”

Exhibitors and demonstrations will offer participants a glimpse of ways to incorporate sustainability into their lives, from ways to care for your lawn without harmful chemicals, to cooking with local food, installing affordable and sustainable energy systems, and making cloth diapers a viable choice for parents. Also included will be a kid’s Green Zone, giving children the chance to learn about sustainability in a fun way, including petting live alpacas. A complete list of exhibitors is available at www.islwe.org.

The Friends of the Trail and Good to Go Commuter Challenge will provide secure, valet bicycle parking for the event. Other event sponsors include WJBC, Prairie Signs, WGLT and Heartland Local Food Network.

Faith and sustainability panel

The expo kicks off with a panel the night of Thursday, April 7 that will focus on what faith organizations can do to promote the care of the planet. The 7 p.m. panel titled “Faith and Sustainability: What They Have in Common” in the Joslin Atrium of the Memorial Center (104 E. University St., Bloomington) will feature members of various religions in the Twin Cities, and Brian Sauder of the not-for-profit Faith in Place. The event is free and open to the public.

Free 4-All and Fashion Challenge

Those attending the expo can take part in the annual Free 4-All on Saturday, allowing the drop off of unwanted clothes, toys and household items. In exchange, participants can walk away with unwanted items of others. The concept of the Free 4-All is to encourage reusing items, rather then sending them to the landfill, said Smock. Expo goers can also submit an entry in the Affordable Fashion Challenge, which requires participants to “design on a dime.” Those at the expo will see the designs during the Affordable Fashion Show. Go to www.islwe.org for additional information.

Mad City Chickens

This year the expo will feature the movie Mad City Chickens at 3 p.m. Saturday in the North Classroom of the Shirk Center. The 2008 film, sponsored by the Heartland Local Food Network, takes a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical, look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. To see the film’s trailers, to go www.tarazod.com/filmsmadchicks.

Electronics recycling

In conjunction with the expo, the City of Bloomington will hold its semi-annual residential, electronic devices recycling event on Saturday. Outside the Shirk Center, the public can drop off up to 10 electronic items and components. Sims Recycling Solutions (SRS) will then remove hazardous materials from unwanted, obsolete or damaged electronic 
products and dispose of them in an environmentally sound fashion.

For additional information on the expo, contact Smock at (309) 556-3334 or go to www.islwe.org.