City Eyes Bike Lanes to Wesleyan

As reported by The Pantagraph, the city of Bloomington is considering bike lane markings to better connect the Constitution Trail, downtown and Illinois Wesleyan’s campus. Also reported by WGLT Radio.

Bloomington Mayor and IWU Political Science Professor Tari Renner supports the initiative. Illinois Wesleyan Bike Committee Chair Michael Gorman ’10 also is a member of the local bike advocacy group, Bike BloNo, which is backing the proposal.

 

Senators Barickman and Brady Recycling Fair

Saturday, Oct. 12
 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Illinois State University Alumni Center parking lot
1101 N. Main, Normal

13 Barickman-Brady Recycling FLYER

 

Join Illinois senators Jason Barickman and Bill Brady (both Republicans from Bloomington) for a community recycling event. Co-sponsors Habitat for Humanity of McLean County, the Ecology Action Center and other participants will be on hand to accept gently used items. Informational legislative brochures will also be available.

Items to Recycle:

  • Electronics (usable or unusable condition)
  • Housewares
  • Household batteries
  • CFL light bulbs
  • Infant’s and children’s clothing
  • Women’s clothing
  • Cell phones
  • Flags
  • Prescription medications
  • Paper (for shredding)
  • Food and toiletries for the Home Sweet Home Ministries

Items that will NOT be accepted:

  • Tires
  • Oil & chemicals
  • Cardboard
  • Glass
  • Paint
  • Propane
  • No commercial loads accepted – residential only

 

Speaker: “Protecting the Illinois Environment Through State Legislation”

Tuesday, Oct. 1
7 p.m.
Center for Natural Science (CNS) C101

Jennifer Walling, the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council  will discuss the results of the 2013 Illinois legislative session, including important legislation concerning hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), open space, and renewable energy.  She will also discuss the priorities of the environmental community in the upcoming year. The Illinois Environmental Council is a non-profit organization that lobbies and organizes support for environmental legislation throughout the state of Illinois.

Also while on campus Tuesday, Walling will offer a question and answer session for students on environmental jobs in the public sector, at 4 p.m. in State Farm Hall 210.

IWU Peace Garden Campus Market

Thursdays (Sept. 19, 26)
1-3 p.m.
Eckley Quadrangle

The IWU Peace Garden will host its first Campus Market of the semester, selling freshly harvested organic produce grown by Wesleyan students and faculty. All members of the IWU community are invited to come support the Peace Garden and learn more about the local food movement and the Garden’s involvement in the Bloomington-Normal community.

Remember: You Can Recycle Textiles on Campus

Members of the campus community can recycle textiles at residence hall desks, the Shirk Center (by Wellness), Hansen Student Center (at the main entrance) and Memorial Center (by the Main Desk) in round bins.

A textile is any item made from cloth or an artificial fabric like vinyl. Textiles are used for clothing, linens, bedding, upholstery, curtains, carpets and other items. Any textile item, even if it’s worn, torn, or stained, can be recycled. You can even recycle a single shoe! Items simply need to be clean and dry.

Some facts:

  • The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing per year. That adds up to 3.8 billion pounds of unnecessary waste added to our landfills.
  • Clothing and household textiles currently make up 5.2% of the waste in landfills.
  • Recycling clothing and textiles decreases the use of natural resources, such as water used in growing crops and petroleum used in creating new clothing and textiles.
  • It also decreases the need for chemicals used in manufacturing new textiles and the pollution caused by the manufacturing process.

How are recycled textiles used?

  • Resold at charities’ secondhand clothing stores
  • Sent to developing countries
  • Turned into wiping cloths, which are used in a variety of industries and businesses (everything from manufacturers to repair shops, construction industries, stores, and maintenance and custodial departments)
  • Processed back into fibers and turned into paper, yarn, insulation, carpet padding, and other items

from: http://www.smartasn.org/educators-kids/Textile_Recycling_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Join GREENetwork

The GREENetwork is a volunteer group of students, staff and faculty who meet regularly to discuss the status of sustainability on our campus, celebrate the improvements that are being made, and look for new ways to increase efforts across the University.

All are invited to take part. Email cteich@iwu.edu to receive meeting notices. 

Single Stream Recycling Comes to IWU

This summer, IWU has changed recycling contractors and can now offer single stream recycling on campus. You no longer need to separate paper and containers, but rather you can place all recyclable materials into one bin.

In the public areas, you can place plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper into the bins marked “Single Stream.”

Acceptable containers include:

  • Plastics #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, including containers for milk, water, soda, detergent, shampoo, salad dressings, medicine bottles, etc. (lids included)
  • Plastic 6-pack and 12-pack ring carriers (must be cut up)
  • Grocery containers #4 and #5 (plastic resin) such as margarine tubs, yogurt cups, and frozen dessert cups
  • Glass bottles and jars: clear, brown, blue, or green (metal lids included)
  • Aluminum: cans, clean disposable trays, pans, and foil
  • Steel cans, including empty aerosol cans
  • Juice boxes (no straws)
  • Gable-top milk and OJ cartons

Acceptable paper items include:

  • Newspapers, including all advertising inserts
  • Paperboard, such as cereal boxes, frozen food boxes, and tissue boxes
  • Cardboard
  • Computer paper, loose leaf paper, and gift wrap
  • Soft-cover books and hard-cover books
  • Junk mail and envelopes (including those with windows)
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Telephone books
  • Magazines

In your office, you can still use the paper boxes previously used “for paper only”  for all recyclable materials.   If you would like a new recycling container for your office, please contact Dale Conover in Physical Plant (dconover@iwu.edu) and he will arrange for a new container to be delivered.

If you have any questions or comments about the program, please feel free to contact Carl Teichman (cteich@iwu.edu)