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It's that time again! Planning, Sustainability and Project Management is hosting its annual Campus Electronic Recycling Collection (CERC) a drop-off event for unwanted electronics, including personal electronics. 

The east campus CERC will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the parking pad south of Hull House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The west campus CERC will be held from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the east end of Arthington Mall near Wolcott St. 

In the event of inclement weather on either of these dates, new dates will be posted to the UIC today calendar.

If donating university-owned electronics, please visit the CERC web page to learn about the required paperwork for your items. 

Experienced Chicago cyclist Pablo Granados will lead a free class for cyclists from 3 - 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17. 

The class, which is made possible through support from the UIC Sustainability Fund, will be held at the Engineering Maker Space at the Roosevelt Road Building, 728 W. Roosevelt Rd. 

Enter the building through the north door and proceed to the bike repair space.

James Jennings, acting director of the Illinois EPA (IEPA) will lead two events on Thursday, Sept. 18. Both events are free and faculty, students and staff are welcome to attend. 

The first event will take place from 2 - 3:30 p.m. at UIC's Latino Cultural Center, 803 S. Morgan Ave. The center is located on the east side of Lecture Center B (LCB2). 

The second event will address "How to Govern the Great Lakes?" and will be held from 7 - 9 p.m. at Patagonia West Loop, 1115 W. Fulton Market. It includes a reception and networking opportunity. 

Learn more about the IEPA's work on its website. 

The Sustainability Fund is a student-led initiative that aims to reduce UIC’s environmental impact. It supports UIC’s five climate commitments to become carbon neutral, zero waste, net zero water, biodiverse and transformative scholarship university, and is funded by the student sustainability fee.

Proposals for sustainability-oriented projects are welcomed from students, faculty and staff. Funding proposals must align with the university’s climate commitments and reflect solutions from its Climate Commitment Action Plan 2024.

Proposals for less than $5,000 are considered on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any time on the Sustainability Fund web page. Proposals exceeding $5,000 must submit an initial Letter of Inquiry. This letter allows applicants to receive feedback on their project before submitting a full application.

Fall 2025 Letters of Inquiry are due on Friday, October 17. After reviewing the Letters of Inquiry, the Sustainability Fund Advisory Board will invite selected applicants to submit final proposals by Friday, November 14.

Undergraduates from UIC and 11 partner universities are invited to take part in the fifth annual Reimagine Our Future competition, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Submit a two- to three-page proposal that addresses a major social, economic, or environmental challenge. You can enter individually or as a team.

Winners can earn up to $2,000, receive mentorship, expert feedback and gain international recognition.

Register by October 20 and submit your proposal by November 25.

The 25th annual Great Stuff Exchange (GSX) was held in the Quad on August 26. The annual event welcomed 1,063 visitors who shopped for free items such as office and dorm supplies like binders, file folders, desk organizers, novel artwork and small electronics - all collected through year-round donations.

Special thanks go to PSPM sustainability interns and UIC EcoVolunteers for their participation and to UIC departments for their donations, which help UIC advance its goal to become a zero waste university. 

UIC provides indoor recycling bins across campus for paper, cardboard, metal, glass and some plastic materials.

Additional specialized recycling stations are available in certain buildings for laboratory plastics, batteries, pens, markers, plastic bags and ink and toner cartridges.

UIC’s recycling program is similar to the City of Chicago’s system, with one key difference: paper and cardboard are collected separately. Revenue from these materials helps fund the university’s recycling initiatives.

While recycling is important to reducing landfill waste, UIC encourages students, faculty and staff to consider “reuse” and “reduce” as even more effective ways to be sustainable. 

For more information about recyclable materials and collection locations, visit the recyclable materials web page.

Composting is a natural process that converts food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich material that can be used to enrich soil in gardens, farms and landscapes.

In December 2024, UIC, in partnership with UIC Dining Services, launched its first front-of-house post-consumer composting program at the 605 Commons in Student Center East and has expanded to the JST Café to further support UIC’s sustainability goals. The UIC Children’s Center is the newest addition to UIC’s growing list of composting programs and began on August 25. 

Future plans for post-consumer compost collection include a collection bin outside of Commons West that will be similar to Illinois State University’s compost kiosk program. 

To learn more about composting at UIC, please visit the composting web page.

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is a Black- and women-led agriculture nonprofit in Chicago that addresses inequities and structural racism in the food system and in communities of color by:

The UGC team cultivates eight urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly on Chicago’s South Side.

There are abundant opportunities to volunteer with this organization, with escalating tiers for those that contribute time and take appropriate training. Learn more on the UGC web site.

Connect with us via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to stay updated about sustainability-related events, news, jobs and involvement opportunities.

Become an EcoVolunteer
EcoVolunteers help eventgoers properly sort waste, set up and run annual events like the Great Stuff Exchange, talk about UIC’s sustainable initiatives and spread the good word at campus events. EcoVolunteers also help plant trees and native plants on campus.

More information can be found on the EcoVolunteer web page

Join EcoReps
EcoReps act as liaisons between their unit/department and Planning, Sustainability and Project Management. Group members attend webinars throughout the year to learn about sustainability issues and how to make their office space and culture more sustainable. They also share information with their organizations about upcoming sustainability events such as the Great Stuff Exchange, Campus Electronic Recycling Events and Earth Day.

You can find out more on the EcoReps web page.

The Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy (CCSE) focuses on implementing CCAP 2024 and achieving the UIC Climate Commitments.

Join a subcommittee!