Category: ISTC

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ISTC Receives Gold Level Recognition from the State Electronics Challenge

SEIgold The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), the parent organization for the Sustainable Electronics Initative (SEI), has received Gold Level recognition from the State Electronics Challenge for activities in 2014. The State Electronics Challenge (SEC) is a free, voluntary program for non-federal public sector organizations (e.g. schools, local governments, universities, libraries, etc.) and non-profit organizations, which encourages responsible management of office equipment via more sustainable purchasing, reducing the impacts of devices during use, and managing obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way. Participants, or “partners” as they’re referred to in the program, can elect to focus efforts on one or more life cycle phases: purchasing, use, and end-of-life management. Guidance on addressing impacts in these life cycle phases is provided via the SEC web site, partners-only webinars, and direct assistance from SEC staff members. Partners are not required to perform any given activity, but if they wish to apply to the optional recognition program, there is a checklist of activities that must be completed to achieve different recognition levels.

Partners are eligible for recognition for their accomplishments as follows:

  • Gold recognition: completed General Requirements & all activities in 3 lifecycle phases
  • Silver recognition: completed General Requirements & completed all activities in 2 lifecycle phases
  • Bronze recognition: completed General Requirements & all activities in 1 lifecycle phase

ISTC was in fact the first organization in IL to become a SEC partner, back in 2011, but 2014 was the first year for which it sought recognition for its activities, after having developed a written policy for purchase, use, and disposal of its IT equipment as part of its internal sustainability committee’s efforts. Of SEC’s 150 current partners, only nine are from Illinois, and, of those, just two earned recognition at any level in 2014. See the complete list of 2014 Partner Award recipients on the SEC web site. As you can see from the picture included in this post, the recognition plaque is appropriately made out of recycled circuit boards.

One of the benefits of being an SEC partner is the receipt of an “environmental sustainability report” for the year, with a summary of the environmental benefits of your organization’s efforts, in easy to understand equivalencies. For example, in ISTC’s 2014 report, we can see that the reduction in energy use resulting from our purchasing, use, and reuse and recycling efforts was equivalent to the amount of electricity to power 25 homes/year. To see an example of the report partners receive, see ISTC’s full Environmental Sustainability Report from SEC for calendar year 2014.

If you wish to learn more about the State Electronics Challenge, don’t miss the upcoming free SEC webinar, “Introduction to the State Electronics Challenge” Tuesday, May 19, 2015 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CDT. You can register for the webinar online at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4400751674919799810.

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ISTC Webinar: How Sustainable is Information Technology?

http://www.istc.illinois.edu/images/parts/ISTClogo.gifJoin SEI’s parent organization, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) for a webinar this Thursday, February 12, from 12:00 – 1:00 pm CST. Our presenter will be Eric Masanet – Morris E. Fine Junior Professor in Materials and Manufacturing and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University. Dr. Masanet will discuss How sustainable is information technology? Trends, challenges, and opportunities.

Abstract: The growing numbers of information technology (IT) devices—and the environmental impacts associated with their manufacture, use, and disposal—are topics that have received much attention in both the media and research communities. While the environmental footprint of IT devices is indeed significant, each new device generation typically brings substantial operational energy efficiency improvements. Furthermore, a singular focus on their direct impacts ignores the indirect environmental benefits that IT devices might provide by improving societal energy and resource efficiencies. A growing body of research suggests that such benefits might be substantial across the economy through such applications as replacing physical goods with digital services, building controls for energy efficiency, and real-time logistics optimization. This presentation will review the life-cycle impacts of IT systems, discuss trends in these impacts as a function of technology progress and growing consumption over time, and highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with managing and reducing the environmental impacts of IT systems moving forward.

Register for the webinar online at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7017258394988082434. This webinar will be broadcast live and also archived on our website at http://www.istc.illinois.edu/about/sustainability_seminars.cfm for later viewing.

To view details and registration information for other upcoming ISTC seminars please visit our calendar.

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New SEI Fact Sheet: Teaching Sustainability with Electronics

A new SEI fact sheet, “Teaching Sustainability with Electronics“ presents the idea that electronic devices provide a means for making sustainability and systems thinking concepts less abstract and more relatable for students. Electronics have a variety of economic, environmental, and social impacts throughout their product lifecycles, and thus provide opportunities to consider the three pillars of sustainability as they relate to everyday objects. The fact sheet also points out that the number and breadth of issues surrounding electronics make sustainable electronics discussions relevant to a multitude of subjects, beyond industrial design, computer science, and engineering. Three examples of SEI education projects are also provided. This document is geared toward formal educators at both the K-12 and university levels, as well as nonformal and informal educators interested in education for sustainability. The goal is to inspire novel approaches to introducing sustainability to students. Educators who would like advice on how to use sustainable electronics concepts in their curricula or programs should email me.

This fact sheet is meant to be the first in a series that will illustrate how sustainable electronics issues relate to various fields of study and provide suggested activities and resources for educators. Look for subsequent fact sheets in the coming months.

Meanwhile, check out the video below from the 2014 Prairie Research Institute Lightning Symposium, in which I talk about electronics as the key to making the environmental and social impacts of technology immediately relevant and compelling, in the effort to foster sustainable mindsets and personal connections to issues on a global scale.

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State Electronics Challenge Webinars: 11/18 Recording Available, 12/2 Webinar Scheduled

SECIntroSlideCaptureOn November 18, 2014, SEI and the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR)  co-sponsored a webinar, “Introduction to the State Electronics Challenge.”

Lynn Rubinstein gave an overview of the State Electronics Challenge, a voluntary national program, free of charge and open to any state, tribal, regional, or local government agency, as well as any K-12 school or non-profit organization. The SEC promotes environmental stewardship of computers, monitors, and imaging equipment — from purchasing green office equipment through power management, paper use reduction, and responsible end-of-life management — resulting in measurable reductions in energy, greenhouse gases, solid and hazardous waste, and associated costs. The goal of the webinar was to illustrate how your organization can join the Challenge and benefit from the program’s proven free technical assistance, action plan, implementation tools, and environmental benefit calculations. Lynn provided information and examples specific to Illinois and the rest of the Great Lakes region of the US, for the information of members of both GLRPPR and the UI Sustainable Electronics Campus Consortium.

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), SEI’s parent organization, has joined the SEC, as has Engineering IT Shared Services here on the UI campus.

If you wish to learn how your organization or unit can join, view the archived webinar, along with slides and links to supporting materials on the GLRPPR web site. Links are also available on the UI Sustainable Electronics Campus Consortium page.  You may also wish to register for a similar introductory webinar, scheduled for December 2, 2014 for 1-2 PM CST.

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Webinar, Oct. 21: Sustainable Electronics for Purchasers

Join Joy Scrogum of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center‘s Sustainable Electronics Initiative to learn about topics related to electronic devices and greener procurement. She’ll discuss purchase avoidance, reuse, repairing instead of replacing, supply chain issues (e.g., conflict minerals), and resources to help make more responsible choices. This webinar is a presentation for the IL Green Governments Coordinating Council Procurement Subcommittee, but is open to other interested parties. The webinar will take place from 9-10 AM (Central time) on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. Register at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/890717127.

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ENG/TE 498 Student Projects: NEO Extends Smartphone Life, Facilitates STEM Education

In a previous post, I described a special topics course (ENG/TE 498) offered in collaboration with the College of Engineering and the Technology Entrepreneur Center this past spring at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed and taught by IL Sustainable Technology Center/Sustainable Electronics Initiative staff members. Entitled Sustainable Technology: Environmental and Social Impacts of Innovations, the class introduced impacts associated with technology at each stage of the product life cycle (design, manufacture, consumption, and disposal/recovery). Electronic products were used as a case study and to provide the framework for discussion of complex legal, economic, social, and environmental considerations.

Students in the course ranged from undergraduates to PhD students, and represented a variety of disciplines, including industrial design, materials science, electrical and computer engineering, civil and environmental engineering, industrial and enterprise systems engineering, agricultural and biological engineering, and accountancy. We were fortunate to have some distinguished guest lecturers join us for some of our classes, including:

  • Craig Boswell, President, HOBI International, Inc.
  • Wayne Rifer, Director of Research and Solutions , EPEAT & Green Electronics Council
  • Kyle Wiens, CEO, iFixit & Dozuki
  • Emily Knox, UI professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (speaking on Makerspace Urbana)
  • Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director, Northeast Recycling Council and Program Manager, State Electronics Challenge
  • Carol Baroudi, Global Sustainability and Compliance, Arrow Value Recovery
  • Jason Linnell, Executive Director, National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)
  • Sriraam Chandrasekaran, Visiting Research and Development Engineer, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

In lieu of a final exam, students worked in teams on final projects, choosing one of two options. They could either prepare a concept as if they were entering the International Sustainable Electronics Competition (ISEC), which is administered by SEI, or they could work on a repair guide as part of iFixit’s Technical Writing Project.

This is the first post in a series highlighting student projects that were completed in the course. Biplab Deka (graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering), Kevin Lehtiniitty (undergraduate in Electrical and Computer Engineering), and Elizabeth Reuter (graduate in Industrial Design) worked together on the “ISEC project option” and came up with NEO, a concept for a computer powered by discarded smartphones, for teaching computer programming to kids. Their project abstract is as follows:

“NEO is a recycled computer powered by a discarded mobile phone that can be connected to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard in order to create a low cost desktop computer with an operating system designed to introduce computer programming to novices. We have decided to aim it toward children and teens, seeing as the age at which Americans start to use computers is getting younger. It comes in a durable and translucent case made out of recycled plastic, allowing kids to interact with NEO and see electronics reuse at work. It comes preloaded with a simple to use operating system that can have kids coding in just minutes as well as sample programs, games, and challenges that gradually become more difficult to guide them in the world of software engineering. In addition to the physical product, NEO also connects to our web based education center that can be accessed through any browser. The center provides additional tutorials, in depth explanations of software engineering, help forums, and user submitted content and competitions that gamify the entire experience.”

Check out their video below. (Note: If you’re receiving this post in your email inbox and don’t see an embedded video below, click on the permalink title of the post at the top of the email message to view the post on the SEI blog site.) It’s a pretty impressive idea, if I do say so (as their instructor, I’m admittedly a bit biased). The three plan to develop the concept, so hopefully NEO will be available sometime in the future for use in your community. If you’re interested in contacting these students to learn more, or to provide support for their product development, email me, and I will connect you with them. Or if you just like the idea, or have suggestions or questions, leave some comments for them on YouTube.

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ISTC Sustainability Film Festival Includes Terra Blight

As part of 2014 Earth Week celebrations on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) is hosting a Sustainability Film Festival. With support from the UI Office of Public Engagement, three documentaries will be screened at the Spurlock Museum‘s Knight Auditorium on the evenings of April 22, 23, and 24th from 6-7:30 PM: Living Downstream, Terra Blight, and Waste=Food, respectively. Admission is FREE and open to the public on a first come, first served basis; doors open at 5:30 PM. After each film, a Q&A/discussion will be held with ISTC staff and other relevant campus and community experts. Panelists will answer questions about their organizations/programs, the issues dealt with in that evening’s film, and provide guidance for the audience on what they can do to prevent pollution, avoid exposure to and release of environmental toxins, and contribute to a cleaner environment in their own lives.

Terra Blight, the film being screened on the evening of April 23, is a 55-minute documentary produced by Jellyfish Smack Productions exploring America’s consumption of computers and the hazardous waste we create in pursuit of the latest technology. According to the film makers, “The film  traces the life cycle of computers from creation to disposal and juxtaposes the disparate worlds that have computers as their center. From a 13-year-old Ghanaian who smashes obsolete monitors to salvage copper to a 3,000-person video game party in Texas, Terra Blight examines the unseen realities of one of the most ubiquitous toxic wastes on our planet. This documentary examines the intricacies of American consumerism through the story of the computer.  It exposes some of the harms of its existence, but it also celebrates the positive changes it has brought to us. By the film’s end, the audience will never look at their computer the same way again.”  See the video player below for a trailer of the film (note if you receive these posts via email subscription, the embedded media may not appear in your email message; you may view the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZuUw2S300).

Following the film, the audience will have a chance to ask questions and participate in discussion with the following guests:

  • William Bullock, Professor of Industrial Design, School of Art + Design, Affiliated Faculty Scientist ISTC, Director, Product Innovation Research Lab. William has taught classes on e-waste issues and sustainable product design, and is the founder of the Sustainable Electronics Initiative’s International Sustainable Electronics Competition.
  • Susan Monte, Champaign County Recycling Coordinator, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission.As the recycling coordinator for the County, Susan oversees countywide collection events and promotes electronics recycling programs available through local businesses. She is also conducting research, with funding from ISTC, characterizing the current state of electronics recycling opportunities in each of Illinois’s 102 counties.
  • Courtney Rushforth, Recycling Coordinator, City of Urbana. Courtney has been actively involved in the Champaign County residential electronics collection events, and has presented data related to the County’s electronics collection efforts at past Sustainable Electronics Initiative meetings.
  • Dave Walters, Manager, Waste Reduction and Compliance Section, IL Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Land. Dave oversees the State’s electronics recycling program, and is an expert on the development and future of the State’s electronics-related legislation.

Joy Scrogum, Co-coordinator of  SEI and Emerging Technologies Resource Specialist for ISTC, will also be present as host of the screenings and moderator for post-film discussions. In collaboration with the Technology Entrepreneur Center, Joy is currently an instructor for ENG/TE 498, Sustainable Technology: Environmental and Social Impacts of Innovations. This class introduces impacts associated with technology at each stage of the product life cycle (design, manufacture, consumption, and disposal/recovery). Electronic products are used as a case study and provide the framework for discussion of complex legal, economic, social, and environmental considerations.

DVDs of the three documentaries featured in the festival will be made available  at the Prairie Research Institute Library. The DVDs will have online activities and resource lists associated with them to enhance the educational impact of the films. For more details and information on the other films in the series, see the ISTC Blog, or contact Joy Scrogum.

To see a full list of all activities taking place during Earth Week, please visit the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (ISEE) web site.

 

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Ecyclemania on UI Campus March 18

Remember that Tuesday, March 18th is Ecyclemania on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. From 2-6 pm, you can drop off electronics (anything with a plug or that runs on batteries) at 3 locations, free of charge:

All e-waste collected will be recycled by a vendor that is R2 and E-steward certified. Weight of the material collected will be reported as part of the national Recyclemania competition. See Recyclemania.org for more information.

Remember, this is for personal electronics only. NO UNIVERSITY-OWNED ELECTRONICS ACCEPTED.

In an effort to reduce traffic congestion that is sometimes created by such an event, volunteers will help pick material using bicycles and carts (E-cyclers). Buildings participating in the event can begin collecting e-waste on the morning of March 18th. The E-cyclers will pick up that material and transport it to one of the collection sites. E-waste that is too heavy to transport by cart should be delivered to the ISTC vehicle drop-off.

If you have questions about the event, please contact Bart Bartels at bbartel@illinois.edu or 217-244-7572.

For more information on campus electronics recycling procedures, you can view a recording of the last UI Sustainable Electronics Campus Consortium meeting (2/19/14), and associated documents at http://www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu/services/campusconsortium.cfm. The documents listed include a PDF of slides highlighting community recycling resources for personally-owned electronics.

Note that if you are unable to participate in the Ecyclemania collection, Champaign County will also be hosting a free residential electronics collection event on April 12 from 8AM-noon at Parkland College. For more information, call 217-328-3313.

 

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UI Sustainable Electronics Campus Consortium: Campus Electronics Recycling Procedures

The next University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign sustainable electronics campus consortium meeting will be Wednesday, February 19, from 1-2 pm in the Stephen J. Warner Conference Room at ISTC. See http://www.istc.illinois.edu/about/visitor_information.cfm for visitor information.

This meeting is focused on operations. Are you unsure of how to handle the disposal of University-owned electronics? Jeff Weaver, of University Property Accounting and Reporting, will outline the campus procedures for proper end-of-life management of electronic devices. Bart Bartels of Facilities and Services will discuss an upcoming e-waste collection event for the campus community for non-University owned devices. Information on other community electronics recycling opportunities will also be provided to raise awareness among faculty, staff and students on how to handle their personal electronics. With the time remaining, we can discuss opportunities to improve policies and diversion rates to guide future operations-related activities of this consortium.

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, it will also be broadcast via GoToWebinar. You may register for the webinar at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/660159455. Feel free to share this link with other interested parties.

The sustainable electronics campus consortium is a project of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center’s Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI; www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu). To learn more about the campus consortium, see http://www.sustainelectronics.illinois.edu/services/campusconsortium.cfm or contact Joy Scrogum at jscrogum@illinois.edu or 217-333-8948.

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University of Illinois Special Topics Course Focuses on Sustainable Electronics

During the Spring 2014 semester, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students will have the opportunity to take a special topics course related to sustainable electronics.

Entitled Sustainable Technology: Environmental and Social Impacts, ENG/TE 498 is a collaboration of the College of Engineering’s Technology Entrepreneur Center and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center’s Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI). TEC’s Dr. Brian Lilly is the professor of record, and ISTC’s Joy Scrogum and Kirsten Walker are instructors.

The class introduces the environmental and social impacts associated with technology at each stage of the product life cycle (design, manufacture, consumption, and disposal/recovery). Electronic products will be used as a case study and provide the framework for discussion of complex legal, economic, social, and environmental considerations.

Planned outcomes are to provide students with:

  • training in the sort of “systems thinking” required to recognize and address potential environmental and social impacts associated with technologies they use and develop.
  • an introduction to the concept of the product life cycle and life cycle analysis
  • an opportunity to hear from experts in the fields of sustainable electronic product development, electronics recycling and end-of-life management
  • an appreciation for the perspectives of various stakeholders
  • an appreciation for the complexity and breadth of issues surrounding electronics
  • the inspiration to apply concepts of sustainable product design, use, and end-of-life management in their personal lives and careers.

Students will complete weekly assignments, typically involving responses to required reading material. A brief mid-term paper and a final project will also be required.

Day & location: Mondays, 10:00-11:50 a.m., Room 1302, Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science

To register, UIUC students should look in the online course catalog under ENG 498 or TE 498, Special Topics. For more information, contact Joy Scrogum at jscrogum@illinois.edu.