Author: Joy Scrogum

Joy is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For over two decades, she has worked on pollution prevention, zero waste, sustainability planning, and outreach projects at ISTC, including the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Greening Schools, the Sustainable Electronics Initiative, the International Sustainable Electronics Competition, the Illini Gadget Garage, the Green Lunchroom Challenge, the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Project, and many more. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyscrogum
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Celebrate the Yule Book Flood with these books on sustainability issues

Tabletop showing an open book, a string of lights, Christmas ornaments, an unlit candle, and a bowl of tangerines and candy.
Photo by Sabina Sturzu on Unsplash

Temperatures are dropping and many of us are once again doing our winter holiday shopping. Some people find generating gift ideas overwhelming in the best of times, and with rising costs, funding and workforce cuts, and other issues, this year may feel even more tumultuous. To help instill a sense of hygge (a Danish and Norwegian word related to comfort, content, and coziness), this post will focus on another northern tradition—the Icelandic Christmas Book Flood, also known as the Yule Book Flood or Jólabókaflóð.

Iceland has a rich literary history, and after World War II, like many other countries, it was rebuilding its economy and restricting imports. Paper was a commodity that remained relatively cheap, and there were fewer restrictions on paper-based products. So, books were more commonly imported items and thus became popular as Christmas gifts. The tradition of books as holiday gifts officially began in 1944 with the first publication of the Journal of Books (Bókatíðindi), an annual catalog of newly published books that is distributed to all Icelandic houses for free at the beginning of the holiday season (today it’s available online as well as being sent by post). The basic tradition includes the presentation of books as gifts on Christmas Eve, followed by settling down to read and enjoy drinks and snacks. According to Erika Ebsworth-Goold, “No matter how the books are doled out, once they’re opened, and favorites are selected, it’s time to settle and snuggle in for a nice, restful read that helps block out winter’s chill. There’s usually hot chocolate, jólabland (a curious Icelandic combination of brown ale and orange soda), other sweet treats, and a calming sense of quiet, reserved togetherness. It’s tough to imagine anything more peaceful or perfect.”

If you’d like to try out this cozy-sounding tradition, the following books related to sustainability issues might be suitable gifts for loved ones or additions to your own wish list. Both non-fiction and fiction titles are included. This list is by no means exhaustive, and additional resources are offered to guide further exploration of sustainability-related titles.

And while we’re on the subject of books, it should be noted that ISTC’s Sustainability Information Curator and librarian extraordinaire, Laura Barnes, is preparing to retire at the end of December 2025 after 34 years of service. If you’ve had the chance to work with Laura, you may want to contact her and wish her well. Cheers, Laura!

As always, links, companies, or products included in this post are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois. Happy holidays!

Non-fiction

  • Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katherine Hayhoe. This book can help readers learn how to talk about climate change with anyone, even those whose worldviews are very different from their own.
  • What if We Get it Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. “Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side…With clear-eyed essays, vibrant interviews, data, poetry, and art, Ayana guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice.”
  • The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late by Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney. “The Problem with Plastic critically examines the paradox of this material, first celebrated for its innovations and now recognized for its devastating environmental and public health impacts…the book reveals how plastic pollution contributes to poisoned oceans, polluted air, a warming planet, and overwhelming waste, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities who bear the brunt of petrochemical pollution.”
  • Composting for a New Generation: Latest Techniques for the Bin and Beyond by Michelle Balz explains the science behind compost, provides tips for using compost, and explores techniques including traditional bin composting (with DIY instructions for building your own bin), vermicomposting, using black soldier fly larvae, keyhole gardens, and trench composting.
  • The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet by Anne-Marie Bonneau. The popular blogger turned author says ‘In my decade of living with as little plastic, food waste, and stuff as possible, I’ve learned that “zero-waste” is above all an intention, not a hard-and-fast rule. Because, while one person eliminating all their waste is great, if thousands of people do 20 percent better it will have a much bigger impact on the planet. The good news is you likely already have all the tools you need to begin to create your own change at home, especially in the kitchen.’
  • Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist by Kate Raworth. The author, an Oxford economist, explains a framework for creating a “safe and just space for humanity” between 12 social foundations (based upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals) and nine planetary boundaries which represent ecological limits beyond which the Earth’s environmental system may not be able to self-regulate. Her diagram of this framework resembles a doughnut, with an interior ring where humanity can thrive while maintaining planetary stability.

Fiction

  • All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall. “In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections…they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they’ve saved.” Note that this and the next book listed are examples of “climate fiction,” also known as “cli-fi.”
  • Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta. “The world is a landscape of drought and risen seas. A military regime controls the remaining freshwater resources with an iron grip. In the far north, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio is the last in the long line of tea masters. She must soon take responsibility for a secret carefully guarded by her predecessors: her family has been caring for a hidden freshwater spring for generations. As the army turns its attention towards the tea master’s house, Noria learns that knowledge and power are irrevocably connected – and that her choices will determine the fate of everyone she loves.”
  • How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue. “Set in the fictional African village of Kosawa, it tells of a people living in fear amid environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company. Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Promises of cleanup and financial reparations to the villagers are made—and ignored. The country’s government, led by a brazen dictator, exists to serve its own interests. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Their struggle will last for decades and come at a steep price.”
  • Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation edited by Phoebe Wagner and Brontë Christopher Wieland is an anthology of short stories, artwork, and poetry from the “solarpunk” genre. According to Wikipedia, the genre “works to address how the future might look if humanity succeeded in solving major contemporary challenges with an emphasis on sustainability, human impact on the environment, and addressing climate change and pollution.” The publisher’s description says the book “focuses on the stories of those inhabiting the crucial moments when great change can be made by people with the right tools; stories of people living during tipping points, and the spaces before and after them; and stories of those who fight to effect change and seek solutions to ecological disruption.”
  • 108: An Eco-Thriller by Dheepa R. Maturi. “While working the night shift at a San Francisco news agency, Bayla Jeevan has a shocking out-of-body experience. Her consciousness is transported deep into an Indian forest, where she witnesses a noxious liquid spreading through the soil. At the same time, she receives a message from her father, presumed dead for fifteen years, warning her of imminent danger. Coincidence? Unlikely. Halfway around the world, agrochemical corporation ZedChem-led by billionaire Krakun Zed-tests its latest innovation, a product heralded as the solution to topsoil erosion. But the data reveals something else entirely…In this action-packed eco-thriller, the bonds of family-and the power to save Earth-are put to the test.”
  • Cast Away: Poems for Our Time by Naomi Shihab Nye. “Acclaimed poet and Young People’s Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye shines a spotlight on the things we cast away, from plastic water bottles to those less fortunate, in this collection of more than eighty original and never-before-published poems…With poems about food wrappers, lost mittens, plastic straws, refugee children, trashy talk, the environment, connection, community, responsibility to the planet, politics, immigration, time, junk mail, trash collectors, garbage trucks, all that we carry and all that we discard, this is a rich, engaging, moving, and sometimes humorous collection for readers ages twelve to adult.”

Additional resources

  • Environmental Novels. This University of Illinois LibGuide compiled by Laura Barnes, Lauren Bordson Dodge, and Charlotte Roh serves as a guide to juvenile, young adult, and adult novels with environmental themes, generally focused on pollution and climate change. It also highlights environmental book awards to help you keep abreast of new and notable titles.
  • Dragonfly.eco. Curated by Mary Woodbury, this site ‘explores the wild, crazy, and breathtaking literary trail of eco-fiction, with a large book database, spotlights, interviews, and more. Our motto is “blowing your mind with wild words and worlds.”’
  • The Greatest Nonfiction Books of All Time on Sustainability. You may not agree with the rankings on this site, but it will certainly provide fodder for your “to read” list.
  • 25 Inspiring Climate Change Books to Read This Year written by Deena Robinson for Earth.org.

Other (non-book) gift ideas

These previous ISTC blog posts may provide some inspiration for the non-readers on your list. Please note that due to the age of these posts, some links included in them may no longer be available.

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Center for Economic Impacts & Societal Benefits releases guidance on pollution prevention industrial assessment

Photo by Alexander Tsang on Unsplash

The Center for Economic Impacts & Societal Benefits (CEISB) at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has released a Pollution Prevention Guide for companies wanting to learn about using pollution prevention industrial assessments. Simply put, pollution prevention, also known as P2, refers to the reduction or elimination of hazardous materials and contaminants (pollution) at their source, prior to creation or release into the environment. The recently published guide is designed both for those who are new to P2 and those who have basic knowledge of P2 industrial assessments to help them move forward with P2 assessments in their facilities.

The guide was produced as part of the Collaborative Training & Assessments in Pollution Prevention (CTAP2) project, which assisted IL manufacturers in developing the skills needed to reap the rewards of incorporating sustainability into their business model. The guidebook includes information on how to plan and conduct assessments, including tips for forming pollution prevention teams; how to collect data to calculate baselines and progress toward goals; identification of common P2 opportunities and methods to evaluate and prioritize opportunities for implementation; and suggestions for incorporating continuous improvement in company culture. Participating facilities were also given access to short video modules to help communicate the basic tenets of P2 to internal teams. In addition to the guidebook, which lays the foundation for applying P2 principles in an industrial setting, an online Zotero library was also developed to provide more in-depth information related to various industrial sectors (e.g., aerospace, automotive, chemical, food & beverage, and metals manufacturing) and topics (e.g., hazardous materials, housekeeping, energy, water, green products, financing, etc.). The Zotero library also includes compilations of relevant case studies and ISTC publications.

Participating facilities represented the following manufacturing sectors: ball & roller bearings (fabricated metal products); cheese; paints & coatings; soap & other detergents; and pumps & pumping equipment. Funding for the project was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Explore other opportunities for assistance

ISTC has over 30 years of experience providing pollution prevention and sustainability technical assistance to industries and organizations throughout Illinois and beyond. Through CEISB, ISTC also provides technical assistance in zero waste, sustainability planning, institutional water treatment, stakeholder engagement, and implementation assistance. Visit the CEISB website for a full list of services. CEISB also conducts research on environmental and societal systems. Visit the main “About Us” page on the CEISB website and the staff directory for more information on areas of expertise.

CEISB technical assistance providers currently have federal funding to provide P2 assistance at no cost to certain industrial or market sectors. See the following brief descriptions and links to project flyers:

  • Advancing Beverage Resilience through Pollution Prevention. This collaboration with EnergySense Resilience Center supports breweries, wineries, distilleries, and other craft beverage businesses across the state of Illinois. Following their assessments, participants will also have the chance to assist in shaping the certification process for green beverage manufacturing in Illinois and to be recognized for their sustainability efforts through the Illinois Green Business Program.
  • Mississippi River Corridor Pollution Prevention. ISTC staff are working with partners at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Office of Pollution Prevention Services and Missouri State University to provide free industrial sustainability assessments across three states.
  • Pollution Prevention at Food Focused Businesses within DuPage & Kane Counties. Another collaboration with EnergySense Resilience Center, this project is providing free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, and other food-focused businesses and organizations in DuPage and Kane Counties. By getting assessed, businesses can lower operational costs, reduce wasted food & resources, and attract environmentally conscious customers.

Don’t see your sector or organization reflected in the projects listed above? The CEISB team may still be able to assist you through other funding sources or fee-for-service work. Contact CEISB at istc-info@illinois.edu or fill out the online site visit request form.

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Tools to help reduce food waste this holiday season

Close up of plate of food including a turkey leg, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and greens.
Photo by Fred Zwicky, © 2024 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

It’s the fall and winter holiday season, and the downside of upcoming festivities is the amount of waste they entail, especially food waste. When we waste food, we also waste the resources that went into its production (e.g., water, land, energy, labor, etc.), and contribute to the generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as methane. Wasted food causes 58% of methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills (U.S. EPA, 2023). Wasted food also means wasted money; according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the cost of food waste for each U.S. consumer is approximately $728 per year, or an average of $56 per week for a family of four. With increasing prices for groceries, it’s even more important that prevent food waste whenever possible.

The following tools and resources will help you reduce food waste associated with your holiday celebrations and hopefully help you establish new habits to prevent food waste year-round. As always, please keep in mind that links to specific products or services are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois.

Meal planning

  • The Guest-imator from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Save the Food website is an interactive calculator to help determine the right amount of food to prepare for a party. You can enter the number of guests based on whether they’re light, average, or big eaters, and even factor in how many leftover meals you’d like when the party’s over. That’s great if you’re the type of person who likes to cook extra food for holiday gatherings so you can send home care packages of leftovers with your guests. You can then choose the style of meal (vegetarian, classic dinner party, or a little of everything smorgasbord), input details on the types of entrees, sides, and desserts you want to get measurements such as the number of pounds of meat to prepare, the ounces of veggies to cook for sides, the number of pies to makes, etc. based on the parameters you’ve entered. Note that for whatever reason, clicking on “Finalize the menu” button does nothing (regardless of the browser you’re using); however, once you’re at the point to add or subtract mains, sides, and desserts, the measurements you’ll need will update on the table graphic at the top of the page with each addition or subtraction. Just scroll back up to see the new information.
  • Utah State University Extension—Meal Planning. This website guides you through the process of assessing what you already have in your pantry, thinking about your meals for the week, and creating a grocery list. It also includes free printable templates for planning nutritious meals and creating relevant shopping lists, and describes free meal planning apps for your phone to make planning simpler.

Proper storage & food safety

  • Store It. A key strategy for preventing food waste is storing your ingredients and leftovers properly to keep them viable for as long as possible. This section of the NRDC Save the Food website provides information on how to store a wide variety of foods, including when and how to refrigerate, how to freeze, and tips for using up the last bits of a given ingredient.
  • FoodSafety.gov (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). In particular, check out the Cold Food Storage Chart and the FoodKeeper App to learn about proper storage of different foods and ingredients. The FoodKeeper App is also available for Android and Apple mobile devices. Further, this website provides resources for keeping food safe by event and season. Following these guidelines can help prevent food waste caused by improper preparation or storage practices. Explore the downloadable guides for cooking for groups, guidance for parties and buffets, Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays, and more.
  • Oregon State University Extension Service Home Food Preservation. Scroll through this website for a wealth of guidance on freezing, drying, pickling, canning, and more to preserve ingredients and various foods prepared at home (since holiday meals often generate leftovers).

Get creative

Sometimes the best strategy to prevent food waste is to find inspiration on how to use an ingredient in a new way, use up a surplus of a given item, or repurpose leftovers in a new dish. The following websites and tools will help you create meals based on what you have on hand.

The 5 Ways website suggests using canned beans as a substitute for half of the fats in baked goods like brownies and cookies to use them up and add protein to treats. Photo by Andrei Starostin – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
  • 5 Ways With Commonly Wasted Foods. This section of Canada’s Love Food Hate Waste website allows you explore new options for using various ingredients. Images of items are presented with a list of 5 different uses. Click on any image for details, which include links to specific recipes. You can also explore the “Recipes” section of the website to search for items you have on hand that might not be featured on the “5 Ways” page.
  • Food Hero. Another excellent resource from Oregon State University Extension, this site provides a database of recipes, resources to help celebrate the food of different cultures, gardening tips, and other guidance to support a healthy lifestyle. You can search their resources by ingredient to find recipes, videos, and other inspiration for items in your pantry or fridge.
  • Of course, you can always just perform an Internet search for your available ingredients, but you might be overwhelmed by the number of search results. Check out these additional recipe database sites to help you find what you’re looking for more easily. Many of these are also available as apps for your phone.
    • Supercook. Use the dropdown menus to select multiple ingredients at a time.
    • MyFridgeFood. If you’re a creative chef, this site not only allows you to search for recipes based on what you have, but also to submit recipe ideas to assist others.
    • Cookpad. Similarly, you can search and share your own recipes. You can search without creating a free account, but need one to submit recipes.
    • Cookin’ With Google. This is a Google Customized Search engine that lets you input multiple ingredients and find relevant recipes.
    • Use Up Leftovers. Enter three ingredients and get results from a database of over a million recipes. Don’t worry about being overwhelmed; the results will consist of the five best matches from the database.

Happy holidays and good luck whittling down your food waste!

Learn more

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IL Climate Education Hub launch event, Oct. 22

Illinois Climate Education Hub logo, consisting of a blue silhouette of the state of IL overlapping a stylized blue and green Earth, with the words "Illinois Climate Education Hub" superimposed and centered over them.

In a previous post on back-to-school sustainability resources, the Illinois Climate Education Hub was mentioned as a forthcoming resource for K-12 teachers, to assist them in complying with Public Act 103-0837. That legislation provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”

The hub is now live and is available at https://illinoisclimateeducation.org/. The IL hub (like its sister hubs in New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan) provides free, educator-vetted teaching resources, professional development opportunities, lesson plan examples, and relevant news articles for students. All resources on the hub can be used for educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.

Subject to Climate, the organization that led efforts to develop the IL hub and similar hubs in other states, is hosting a launch event for the Illinois Climate Education Hub on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 4 PM Central. Tickets are free and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/illinois-climate-education-hub-launch-event-tickets-1661256215059.

All are invited to join Illinois teachers, students, and community partners to learn about the Illinois Climate Education Hub.

Contact Subject to Climate’s IL State Lead, Kate Nahrwold, with questions or for additional information.

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October is Campus Sustainability Month

Outdoor photo showing students walking down a sidewalk framed by trees displaying orange leaves in fall.
Photo by Michelle Hassel. © Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Every October, colleges and universities around the world celebrate Campus Sustainability Month. According to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the goal of Campus Sustainability Month is “to raise the visibility of campus sustainability and provide campus sustainability advocates with a platform through which to deepen campus engagement around sustainability. It provides an excellent opportunity to recruit new leaders and set goals for the rest of the year. It serves as a complement to Earth Day, which is held each year in April, and is often a time for celebration and recognition of the good work that took place over the course of the academic year.”

The following resources will help members of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus community learn more about and contribute to sustainability efforts on campus. This list is extensive but not exhaustive. You’re encouraged to explore websites referenced below for further information or reach out to the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at sustainability@illinois.edu with questions.

Staff members of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), including the PRI Office of the Executive Director and the five State Scientific Surveys, can join the PRI Sustainability Microsoft Team to share resources, ask questions, and collaborate on solutions. Open the Teams app on your work computer and search for “PRI Sustainability” or contact Joy Scrogum to join. Staff from the Urbana campus Facilities & Services (F&S) unit, including the campus zero waste coordinator, also participate in this group.

Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP). This plan, updated every five years, represents the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship and outlines strategies that are being pursued to reach carbon neutrality as soon as possible (no later than 2050). Objectives relate to energy, transportation, land and water, zero waste, education, engagement, resilience, and implementation. The latest edition of the iCAP was published in 2020 (which means a revision is currently underway). Check out the 2020 iCAP at https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/files/project/5293/iCAP-2020-FINAL-WEB.pdf.

Progress toward iCAP goals involves detailed analysis, research, and formulation of recommendations by topical iCAP teams (previously referred to as Sustainability Working Advisory Teams, or SWATs) comprised of faculty, staff, and student members. Topics covered by these teams roughly correspond to iCAP objectives and include Education, Energy, Transportation, Land & Water, Zero Waste, and Engagement. Interested staff, faculty, and students can reach out to team chairs (listed as “Project Leaders” on the team pages) to express interest in joining topical teams. All recommendations made by iCAP topical teams are available on the iCAP Portal (described below).

Recommendations made by the topical teams are then considered by the iCAP Working Group, a committee of mid-level administrators as well as students, staff, and faculty members, which evaluates and routes them to appropriate campus units or to the Sustainability Council for further evaluation and implementation. The Sustainability Council is chaired by the Chancellor, vice-chaired by the Director of the iSEE, and is composed of campus decision makers at the highest level. The flowchart below illustrates the process of progress toward iCAP objectives.

Flowchart illustrating how topic teams make recommendations, and how those recommendations are considered and advanced by other committees prior to approval as part of progress toward iCAP objectives.
Illustration of the iCAP recommendation and approval process from the iCAP Portal.

The iCAP Portal: Launched in 2012, this is an online repository of information on various sustainability efforts across campus, including past projects, those currently underway, and those in the planning stages. The iCAP Portal features updates, historical context, metrics, and contact information for all current and past iCAP projects. Project descriptions are organized into 10 themes on the portal: Energy, Transportation, Land and Water, Zero Waste, Resilience, Reporting Progress, Engagement, Education, Research Opportunities, and Funding. A project’s status may be listed as Proposed (prior to approval), In Progress (projects actively being implemented), Ongoing (for projects running on their own, or for summaries of overarching efforts with multiple subprojects), Completed, or even Cancelled (for efforts that didn’t work out or ceased for some reason). The “Objectives Dashboard” can help portal users find updates and track progress toward the various objectives outlined in the current iCAP.

The iCAP Portal is a massive resource, and it contains a wealth of information about campus sustainability efforts, though many campus community members remain unaware of this repository. Content maintenance and portal design are led by Facilities & Services (F&S), iSEE, and the College of Education’s Office for Math, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE). Other contributors include the iCAP Working Group and topical iCAP teams (and associated student clerk and interns), under iSEE’s direction, as well as the Student Sustainability Committee (described below under “Student Organizations”). As you can imagine, keeping this type of extensive record up to date takes a lot of time and effort. The various projects the portal outlines are contributed to by students, faculty, and staff, which are all populations comprised of busy people with varying degrees of turnover. As a result, you may occasionally find outdated information (e.g., old contact names) or a lack of recent project updates on the portal. So, if you happen to have knowledge of a project and/or are browsing the iCAP Portal and see something that needs to be updated, use the online “Suggestions” form to inform the team working on portal maintenance. That same form can also be used to suggest ideas for new projects (after checking the list of existing projects, categorized by topic).

Green Guide: Published in spring 2025 through a collaboration of F&S, iSEE, and Student Affairs, this document is designed to highlight opportunities for campus sustainability engagement. It overlaps with much of the information provided below, while providing a few specific examples of student organizations, cultural and resource centers, key campus programs, relevant facilities that you can tour, and tips for sustainable behaviors for individuals to pursue.

SSC IGF logo

Student Sustainability Home Page: This section of the Urbana campus Student Affairs website is the gateway to student engagement in campus sustainability efforts. Included are subsections on the following:

Sustainability Training Videos: These videos can help individuals understand how they might contribute to the iCAP objectives. Different videos are available for students, faculty and researchers, and for other staff members, administrators, and community members. Links to surveys are available for viewers to provide feedback on what campus is doing right and what needs to be prioritized moving forward.

Campus waste management. Check out the F&S Waste Management & Recycling web pages, as well as their Zero Waste pages. In the latter, you can explore the recent Campus Building Waste Characterization & Opportunity Assessment conducted by ISTC’s Center for Economic Impacts & Societal Benefits (CEISB) in collaboration with F&S. (If you’re curious you can learn more about various work CEISB has done with F&S over the years.) Check out the online Recyclopedia to assist with questions about materials recycled on campus. You can also email questions to recycling@illinois.edu.

Greener Campus Certification Programs: Did you know that your office, sorority or fraternity chapter, or your campus event could receive recognition for the implementation of simple, inexpensive sustainable actions? This section of the iSEE website outlines the campus green certification programs and how to participate.

Sustainability research on campus. Each year, iSEE calls for proposals to provide seed money for faculty-led teams to engage with interdisciplinary sustainability issues on campus or in neighboring communities as part of the Campus as a Living Lab research program. The goal is to leverage this seed money to attract external funds for research relevant to achieve the iCAP objectives. Check out the link above to learn about previously funded projects and watch that space for information on calls for proposals.

Additional information on sustainability research happening on the Urbana campus can be found at https://sustainability.illinois.edu/research/ and https://www.istc.illinois.edu/.

News and events. The iSEE Sustainability Calendar is a great way to keep track of sustainability-related events campuswide, and the iSEE email newsletter delivers updates and on campus projects and events to your inbox. The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Calendar can help you track sustainability-related events throughout the state and beyond. If you’re reading this post, you’re familiar with the ISTC Blog as a source of information. You can also subscribe to ISTC’s quarterly newsletter or its Technology Acceleration Program newsletter. The former will focus mainly on ISTC projects, while the latter may feature ISTC efforts, but will also provide broad coverage of news and research of interest to clients and partners of the ISTC CEISB. You can also subscribe to the ISTC Sustainability in the News blog to keep apprised of worldwide sustainability research and headlines.

Sustainability Education Opportunities: Finally, be sure to check out this section of the iSEE website for more information on sustainability education opportunities on the Urbana campus. These web pages offer a wealth of information on sustainability-related fellowships, certificates, and programs (including courses, majors and minors) that students can pursue.

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Celebrate Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, Sept. 15-21, 2025

2025 P2 Week Poster, designed by Diana Henne. Available for purchase at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2025-pollution-prevention-week-pollution-prevention-roundtable.html.

The third week of September annually is celebrated as Pollution Prevention, or P2, Week. P2 Week 2025 is September 15-21 using the theme: “40 Years of Pollution Prevention: Honoring the Past, Protecting the Future!”

As defined by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR, emphasis added), “Pollution is the contamination of air, soil, or water by the discharge of harmful substances. Pollution prevention is the reduction or elimination of pollution at the source (source reduction) instead of at the end-of-the-pipe or stack. Pollution prevention occurs when raw materials, water, energy and other resources are utilized more efficiently, when less harmful substances are substituted for hazardous ones, and when toxic substances are eliminated from the production process. By reducing the use and production of hazardous substances, and by operating more efficiently we protect human health, strengthen our economic well-being, and preserve the environment.”

Rather than being a burden on industry, NPPR points out that “Adopting pollution prevention practices and techniques often benefits industry by lowering a company’s operational and environmental compliance costs. By preventing the generation of waste, P2 can also reduce or eliminate long-term liabilities and clean-up costs. Furthermore, disposal costs are reduced when the volume of waste is decreased. This can also lead to a reduction in workplace exposures to hazardous materials which can affect workers’ health and hence, their productivity. If less waste is produced, there will also be a diminished need for on-site storage space. Furthermore, by preventing pollution there will be a greater likelihood that a company will be in compliance with local, state, and federal compliance statutes. Finally, as community pillars, businesses shoulder an important responsibility for protecting the environment and natural resources for their own good as well as that of society.”

In 1990, Congress passed the Pollution Prevention Act (P2Act), which states “The Environmental Protection Agency must establish a source reduction program which collects and disseminates information, provides financial assistance to States, and implements the other activities….”

The technical assistance experts within ISTC’s Center for Economic Impacts and Societal Benefits (CEISB) help businesses, organizations, institutions, and government agencies throughout Illinois and beyond prevent pollution and use resources more efficiently. This benefits our shared environment while also ensuring that companies and communities are more competitive and resilient.

CEISB technical assistance providers currently have federal funding to provide P2 assistance at no cost to certain industrial or market sectors. See the following brief descriptions and links to project flyers:

  • Advancing Beverage Resilience through Pollution Prevention. This collaboration with EnergySense Resilience Center supports breweries, wineries, distilleries, and other craft beverage businesses across the state of Illinois. Following their assessments, participants will also have the chance to assist in shaping the certification process for green beverage manufacturing in Illinois and to be recognized for their sustainability efforts through the Illinois Green Business Program.
  • Mississippi River Corridor Pollution Prevention. ISTC staff are working with partners at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Office of Pollution Prevention Services and Missouri State University to provide free industrial sustainability assessments across three states.
  • Pollution Prevention at Food Focused Businesses within DuPage & Kane Counties. Another collaboration with EnergySense Resilience Center, this project is providing free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, and other food-focused businesses and organizations in DuPage and Kane Counties. By getting assessed, businesses can lower operational costs, reduce wasted food & resources, and attract environmentally conscious customers.

Don’t see your sector or organization reflected in the projects listed above? Our team may still be able to assist you through other funding sources or fee-for-service work. Contact us at istc-info@illinois.edu or fill out our online site visit request form.

Learn more

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Starting climate conversations

Two couples on a sunny patio eating pizza and conversing
Photo by bernardbodo  – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

In her 2018 TED Talk, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe asserted that the most important thing one can do to combat climate change is to talk about it. Citing long-term opinion research conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, she pointed out that although a majority of people (~70%) in the United States agree that climate change is happening, and that it will also harm plants, animals, and future generations of humans (~70% for each type of impact), only about two-thirds of the population believe it will impact them personally. And two-thirds of the population never talk about climate change, even occasionally. If you explore the interactive Yale Climate Opinions Map based on 2024 data, you’ll see that these statistics remain roughly the same today within a few percentage points. So, it seems there is widespread belief that climate change is real and will be impactful, but for many, there’s still a disconnect between that uncomfortable truth and our immediate lives. Dr. Hayhoe posits that as long as we don’t talk about it, we’ll continue to convince ourselves that climate change is a distant problem removed from our experience, and this attitude will delay progress toward solutions.

If the subject of climate change feels taboo, how does one begin climate conversations, especially in a society that seems to be increasingly polarized? In this post, we’ll explore some ideas and resources to help you broach the topic.

Keep an open mind about how open others are

If the above statistics about the belief in the existence and impact of climate change surprised you, you may also be operating under assumptions about how polarized we are in general. It may seem as if you’re surrounded by people with extreme opinions, on the opposite side of the spectrum from you on just about any topic, let alone climate change. This perception might feed into an unwillingness to even try to talk to others about important issues.

But the keyword there is perception. If you assume that you already know what other people think and that they won’t be open to your views, and further allow that assumption to halt conversations before they begin, you’ll never actually find out if your assumption was true. And the more you base your action—or rather inaction—on a potentially false assumption, the more likely you are to reinforce an atmosphere in which individuals fail to connect and simply accept division as insurmountable. While it’s certainly true that people can disagree strongly about specific issues, it’s also true that we’re all human. We all eat, pay bills, love our families, experience loss, etc. By focusing on the differences between us, we make the conscious decision to ignore all that we share.

In the July 2024 Time article “The Growing Evidence That Americans Are Less Divided Than You May Think,” Karl Vick describes research that illustrates the disparity between individuals’ opinions on what is important and what those individuals thought other people would find important, along with psychological principles that tend to skew human perceptions and behaviors to create a sense of isolation. A recent report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, “Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2025″ reflects a high degree of support for climate change policy and various mitigation strategies among all registered voters (view the Executive Summary for results regardless of political party; details by party are provided within the report). For example, 52% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress; 71% support tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves; and 79% of registered voters support strengthening enforcement of industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution. Writing for the Summer 2025 edition of the Carnegie Reporter magazine, Dame Louise Richardson stated: “Preliminary research and polling that we have supported suggest that the population at large is less polarized than our political leaders and that smaller communities are less polarized than larger ones. Moreover, they demonstrate that there is actually a strong convergence of opinion among Americans on many core issues, but widespread misunderstanding of the views of those on the other side of the political spectrum.” She cites and provides links to the various studies that support her assertions.

In other words, remember that your impressions might not be accurate, and if you’re going to make assumptions, err on the side of assuming that the number of things most people have in common outweigh their differences. This can combat the fear of conflict that might form a barrier to engagement.

Connecting rather than convincing

Dr. Hayhoe suggests the best way to begin climate conversations is not by spouting data or citing research to try to make the other person adopt a particular viewpoint. If people feel overwhelmed by information because of its quantity or complexity, or if they perceive your lecture as a personal attack on their character, they’re likely to stop listening to you. Instead of approaching climate conversations as an opportunity to convince, see them as an opportunity to connect with a fellow human being. Ask the other person questions about themselves (e.g., what are their hobbies, where are they from, what is their family like, what do they enjoy, etc.) and really listen to what they have to say so you can start to understand who they are and what they care about. Then consider if what they’ve said resonates in any way with your values and experiences. Find what you have in common.

Illustrate immediacy through common connections

Once you’ve found what you have in common, you can build a bridge by talking about it. Then you have the opportunity to introduce the idea of climate change as it relates to your common interest or experience. This can help transform the subject from an abstract and removed concept to a tangible and directly relevant issue. If you both like to garden, you might talk about how the USDA plant hardiness zones were updated a few seasons ago; maybe now you can confidently grow plants that were once reserved for warmer areas. Or maybe you’ve noticed that you can start your garden earlier in the year or that you need to water more than you used to. Perhaps you’ve noticed a change in the types or number of insects or birds present while you’re working in your garden. If you’re both parents, you might observe that your kids get time off from school these days due to high heat advisories in the warm months, or windchill factors instead of snowfall in the colder months. If you’ve bonded over needing a cup of coffee to start your morning, you might talk about hearing that climate change might impact coffee yields and where coffee can be grown, among other things.

You don’t have to be prepared with an arsenal of trivia; again, the point is not to present a litany of facts but to connect the impacts of climate change to something you both care about. If you aren’t already aware of a fact related to your shared value or experience, it could be enough to wonder aloud about the potential impact (e.g., “I wonder if climate change will impact coffee production? I don’t think I could cope if there was a coffee shortage!”). You don’t have to be an expert in every possible impact of climate change, just a fellow human being willing to share concerns, questions, and reactions to a changing world.

Respect emotions

Be prepared for the fact that climate change can trigger a wide variety of emotions. If the other person wants to share their experiences, let them, and again, listening mindfully is important. Remember that all feelings are valid. If the other person expresses something that you don’t personally feel, don’t belittle their feelings (e.g., “there’s no reason to be afraid of sea level rise in this area…”), just listen respectfully and respond with empathy. Be willing to share your own emotions authentically, regardless of whether the other person volunteers their feelings. If, for example, the other person tells you what scares them about climate change, share your own related fears. If you don’t have any fears about climate change, share what you do feel (e.g., grief, anger, anxiety, etc.). Again, having the conversation can help normalize the idea that climate change is an emotional reality as well as a physical one, and that we don’t need to bury those emotions.

Be advised that talking to children is very different from talking to adults. Don’t present potentially traumatic information when dealing with very young children, and don’t overwhelm kids with too much information. See the “Resources to explore” section below for links to guidance on talking about climate with young people.

Invite hope to the conversation

The magnitude of climate change issues can evoke a sense of despair or powerlessness. While acknowledging these feelings is important, if your conversation focuses solely on doom and gloom, you’ll end up fostering the idea that climate change isn’t something worth thinking about, talking about, or acting on—in direct opposition to the point of your starting the conversation in the first place. If you’re aware of a case study to mitigate climate change that gives you hope, share that (e.g., “My church recently installed solar panels on the roof,” or “I read there’s been a drop in deforestation in Colombia”). At the very least share one or a few examples of what you are doing, however simple, to fight climate change, and why that relates if the other person doesn’t know (e.g., “I’ve started composting my food scraps,” “I plan my errands to minimize the amount of driving I do,” “I’ve gotten to the point where I almost always wash my clothes in cold water,” etc.). Examples may not only reassure your conversation companion that solutions exist and are being pursued, but also inspire and empower them to take action.

Resources to explore

The following resources can help you prepare for, or conduct, climate conversations with others.

  • Illinois Extension Climate Stewards: https://extension.illinois.edu/climate/illinois-extension-climate-stewards. This course trains environmental stewards to communicate about climate change and engage in local solutions. Though upcoming dates for the course have not been scheduled, you can contact your local Extension office to express interest. ISTC’s Joy Scrogum completed this course in Fall 2024 and can provide insights on the experience.
  • Climate Conversations Card Game: https://climateconversationslex.weebly.com/card-game.html. Available to download in English, Spanish, or in K-12 versions for printing or in versions appropriate for remote play. “This game aims to create conversations, having participants work through their own relationships with climate change while envisioning a climate resilient future. Working with a partner, participants pick one card from each of the four conversation levels.” This card game was developed by a network of community members in the Lexington, KY area interested in fostering resilience through climate change conversations.
  • Talking climate handbook—how to have a climate change conversation: https://climateoutreach.org/reports/how-to-have-a-climate-change-conversation-talking-climate/. Developed by the British organization Climate Outreach, this guide is meant to assist anyone interested in having constructive day-to-day conversations about climate change. Their advice is presented via an acronym representing important steps for good climate conversations (REAL TALK). It includes sections on dealing with specific audiences, such as young people and those strongly opposed to climate action.
  • Principles for effective communication and public engagement on climate change: A handbook for IPCC Authors: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2017/08/Climate-Outreach-IPCC-communications-handbook.pdf. This brief, evidence-based handbook was commissioned by the Working Group/Technical Support Unit of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and prepared by Climate Outreach.
  • Talk Climate: https://talkclimate.org/. This Seattle, WA organization offers resources that are “are age-appropriate, emotionally-responsive, and designed to empower people to build emotional and interpersonal capacity for facing the climate era together.” Contributors and collaborators include scientists in various fields, healthcare professionals (including therapists), musicians, and activists. Their website includes sections on talking about climate with birth to kindergarten-aged children, elementary school students, middle to high school-aged students, young adults, and caregivers and adults. They provide resource compilations related to education (K-university), environmental justice, faith and spirituality, healthcare and public health, mental health and wellbeing, and climate science. Site visitors can browse downloadable handouts, music and book suggestions, and more.
  • Saving Us by Katharine Hayhoe: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Saving-Us/Katharine-Hayhoe/9781982143848. Like the TED talk mentioned above, this book highlights the importance of talking about climate change and provides advice on how to do so.
  • Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/. This site is a treasure trove of research, tools, and interactive resources (like the opinions map referenced at the beginning of this post) to help you understand and communicate about climate change. Be sure to check out their recently released report, “Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2025.”
  • Back to school sustainability resources: https://blog.istc.illinois.edu/2025/07/31/back-to-school-sustainability-resources/. This recent ISTC blog post includes resources related to climate change education and addressing anxiety or other distress stirred by climate change.
  • The Daily Climate: https://www.dailyclimate.org/. A publication of the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences, this online newsletter includes sections focused on Solutions and Good News to help you sow the seeds of hope.
  • Active Hope: https://www.activehope.info/. Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone first published the book, Active Hope, in 2012, and then released a revised 10th anniversary version in 2022. The book focuses on how to face the complex environmental “mess” that we’re in and how to find your role in collective positive change (what the authors call the “Great Turning”). Among other things, the revised edition shifts from seeing the negative impacts that might come about in the future due to various environmental challenges to acknowledging that those negative consequences are underway. This website provides information not only about the book, but related free training and resources.

If you have questions or are interested in exploring ways to have climate conversations within your organization or institution, contact Joy Scrogum.

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Back to school sustainability resources

Photo by wavebreak3 – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) 

Time flies, and August is upon us already, so it will soon be back-to-school time in IL. Whether you’re a parent, student, or educator, if visions of classrooms or campuses are dancing in your head, the following resources will help you prepare for the new school year. As always, please keep in mind that links to specific products or services are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement by ISTC, the Prairie Research Institute, or the University of Illinois.

Choosing better school supplies

Check out this 2023 ISTC blog post for tips on more sustainable school supplies. The advice provided remains sound, and the links included to examples of various products still function.

Climate change education

Did you know that beginning next fall, IL K-12 public schools are required to provide climate change education? Public Act 103-0837, signed into law by Governor J. B. Pritzker in August 2024, provides that, “Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, every public school shall provide instruction on climate change, which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying the environmental and ecological impacts of climate change on individuals and communities and evaluating solutions for addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change and shall be in alignment with State learning standards, as appropriate. The State Board of Education shall, subject to appropriation, prepare and make available multi-disciplinary instructional resources and professional learning opportunities for educators that may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection.”

An organization called SubjectToClimate is already leading efforts to develop an Illinois Climate Education Hub. The goal of the online hub is to make it easier for Illinois K-12 educators of all grade levels and subjects to teach about climate change by providing access to free, vetted teaching resources, professional development opportunities, lesson plan examples, and more. They’ve previously created similar hubs for New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Michigan. Check our their “Get Involved” page if you’re interested in being part of the effort, or reach out to Katie Nahrwold, the Illinois State Lead, for more information. While the IL hub has yet to be launched (the tentative launch date is September 10, 2025), teachers may still consider registering for an account on the SubjectToClimate website to browse teaching resources already available. Resources can be searched by grade, subject, resource type, standards, providers, locations, and languages. You can also use online forms to suggest teaching resources or suggest a teacher professional development opportunity.

You may also be interested in this list of climate education resources compiled by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: https://dnr.illinois.gov/outreach/climate-action-plan/climate-education-resources.html. The US EPA website lists climate change resources for educators and students. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also offers a compilation of climate change teaching resources. Finally, visit the Illinois EPA website if you’d like to learn more about our state’s participation in the US Climate Alliance.

It’s worth recognizing that people of all ages may experience anxiety or other forms of distress as they learn more about climate change and potential impacts on society. So, beyond resources to expand knowledge related to climate change, you may also be interested in resources for coping with the emotions stirred by such knowledge. Check out Unthinkable’s resource hub for climate distress and other polycrisis problems, the Climate Mental Health Network, and the Climate Psychology Alliance.

Other education for sustainability resources

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) defines education for sustainability (EfS) as follows (as relayed on the Getting Started with Sustainability in Schools website): “Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world-views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living. It enables individuals and communities to reflect on ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. Sustainability education is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action. Actions that support more sustainable patterns of living require consideration of environmental, social, cultural and economic systems and their interdependence.”

Similarly, UNESCO uses the term “education for sustainable development,” or ESD, stating “Education for Sustainable Development empowers people with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to live in a way that is good for the environment, economy, and society. It encourages people to make smart, responsible choices that help create a better future for everyone.” The UNESCO ESD website provides a variety of resources to explore, along with its Education for sustainable development for 2030 toolbox.

Concordia University offers the online text “A guide to embedding education for sustainability in higher education courses.”

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education provides professional development opportunities, EfS standards and indicators, and a variety of other resources to support educators interested in integrating sustainability in their curricula.

Specifically related to chemistry, Beyond Benign offers green chemistry resources for the K-12 classroom, higher education green chemistry resources, and the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC), an online space for sharing, learning, collaboration, networking, and mentorship including K-12 and higher education teachers and educators, students, and industry stakeholders.

Improving school facilities and grounds

The following resources may support efforts to improve the sustainability of school facilities and grounds.

Interested in aspects of sustainability for schools not covered here? Feel free to reach out to Joy Scrogum with questions.

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Nominations due July 31 for 2025 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards

According to its mission statement, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) is “a national forum that promotes the development, implementation, and evaluation of efforts to avoid, eliminate, or reduce waste generated to air, land, and water. The sustainable and efficient use of energy, materials and resources is vital to the protection and enhancement of human health and the environment, and the conservation of natural resources. These efforts are integral to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production to promote environmentally responsible social and economic development.”

Since 1995, NPPR has recognized the very best in pollution prevention (P2) with its annual awards program, the Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Awards (MVP2). MVP2 awards recognize the P2 efforts of local government, state government, federal government, tribes, not-for-profit organizations, private industry, educators, and students.

Nominations for the awards are accepted year-round. The deadline for consideration for the 2025 MVP2 awards is July 31st, for awards to be announced in September during Pollution Prevention Week (celebrated annually during the third week in September; September 15-21 for 2025).

Members of NPPR may nominate individuals or programs for MVP2 awards at no charge. There is a $50 fee per nomination by non-members.

MVP2 award winners are selected for each of seven categories as described below.

  • Fred Granek Memorial P2 Ambassador. “The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable has established this annual award in honor of Fred Granek who suddenly passed away in January of 2014.  The Fred Granek Memorial P2 Ambassador Award will be given to an individual who has demonstrated the same passion for pollution prevention that Fred demonstrated throughout his 39 year career in environmental protection.  This award will also recognize those who travel beyond their own borders to share information, ideas, and technologies that will avoid, eliminate and reduce waste in an effort to make the world a better place.  These are qualities that Fred embodied and will be missed by the entire P2 community.”  Click here to nominate someone for the P2 Ambassador award.
  • P2 Project or Program. “There are five broad judging categories for this award: (1) innovation, (2) measurable results, (3) transferability, (4) commitment, and (5) optimization of available project resources.” Click here for complete details and to nominate a project or program.
  • P2 Multimedia. This award “celebrates work that most effectively reduces harmful impacts to all environmental media: to land, air, and water, and reduces impacts to workers and consumers…The award is for projects and programs that result in the reduction of harm to ecosystems and people because they avoid pollution during the process being undertaken, and reduce harm in shipping and storing of hazardous substances, as well as the injuries to health and the environment that can occur during product manufacturing and use, and post-use management. Nominations for this award will be judged on the preventive value of the pollution reduction, including extent of the pollution reduction across environmental media; reduction of exposure risk to environmental and human receptors; demonstration of new techniques, practices, opportunities; transferability of the demonstration; and effectiveness of communication of the P2 example.” Click here for complete details and to nominate a project or program.
  • Ken Zarker Memorial P2 Champion. “The P2 Champion Award celebrates an individual whose work has an outstanding impact on implementing pollution prevention in one or more of the following areas: setting pollution prevention vision and strategies; leading and directing pollution prevention programs; implementing pollution prevention projects; and/or significant impact on pollution prevention achieved.” Click here to nominate someone for this award.
  • P2 Educator of the Year. This award “celebrates a teacher, professor or trainer whose work with students has an outstanding impact on pollution prevention in one or more of the following areas: setting pollution prevention vision and strategies; creating, advancing or inspiring work in pollution prevention; implementing pollution prevention projects; and/or significant impact on pollution prevention achieved.” Click here to nominate someone for P2 Educator of the Year.
  • P2 Student of the Year. This award “celebrates a student in high school, college or advanced degree whose work has an outstanding impact on pollution prevention in one or more of the following areas: setting pollution prevention vision and strategies; creating, advancing or inspiring work in pollution prevention; implementing pollution prevention projects; raising awareness to the importance of pollution prevention; and/or significant impact on pollution prevention achieved.” Click here to nominate a student.
  • P2 Volunteer of the Year. This award “celebrates an NPPR member whose volunteer work has an outstanding impact on implementing pollution prevention in one or more of the following areas: setting pollution prevention vision and strategies; creating, advancing or inspiring work in pollution prevention; implementing pollution prevention projects; and/or significant impact on pollution prevention achieved.” Click here to nominate an NPPR member.

For more information or to ask questions, contact admin@p2.org.

Descriptions of the 2024 winners are available at https://www.p2.org/2024-MVP2-Awards. Descriptions from previous years are available at https://www.p2.org/Past-Award-Winners.

ISTC is a proud member of NPPR and past recipient of MVP2 awards. ISTC’s Joy Scrogum currently serves on the NPPR board of directors, and received the P2 Ambassador award in 2022.

 

 

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Plastic Free July 2025: Reducing plastics at home, work, and on the go

Plastic Free July is a campaign coordinated by the Plastic Free Foundation to raise awareness of the negative impacts of plastic pollution and to encourage individuals to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics.

You’ve probably seen news coverage of collections of plastic pollution in the oceans or seen photos of wildlife harmed by ingesting or being trapped in discarded plastic packaging. Microplastics have been detected in a variety of human organs, and in virtually every habitat on Earth. We’re only beginning to understand and investigate the potential negative impacts of plastic pollution and exposure on human and environmental health. To learn more about those potential impacts, see the “Impacts on Environmental and Human Health” section (beginning on page 65) in the “Plastics” chapter of the recent ISTC report, “Illinois Materials Management & Recycling Opportunities,” available at https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127016.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Plastic Free July, and the third year we’ve celebrated the campaign by offering tips on the ISTC Blog. In 2023, we focused on atypical examples of single-use plastics, beyond things like plastic water bottles and grocery bags, to foster further reduction among people who have already tackled the “low-hanging fruit.” In 2024, we focused on ways to reduce plastic pollution from your clothing and textiles. This year, we’ll share a few new tips to reduce plastic consumption throughout various aspects of your life—at home, at work, and on the go. Some of these tips apply to businesses as well as individuals. Be sure to check out the previous posts as well for additional tips! These lists are of course not exhaustive but are meant to provide inspiration for change, and perhaps spark conversation and brainstorming.

As always, please remember that ISTC does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, any manufacturer, vendor, product, or service. Information about specific products, manufacturers, or vendors is provided for reference only.

At home

Choose glass, stainless steel, or ceramic storage containers, serving utensils, and cookware, and don’t use plastic containers when heating up food in the microwave. Research has shown that even FDA-approved plastics release microplastics into your food when they’re heated in a microwave. See last month’s blog post on more environmentally friendly gifts for dads and grads for some resources to help choose stainless steel, cast iron, glass, and ceramic cookware.

Replace plastic cutting boards with wood or bamboo. A study by Yadav et al. (2023) identified plastic cutting boards as a substantial source of microplastics in food (citation below under “Learn more”). Alexandra Kelly, writing for Martha Stewart’s website, offers tips for “How to Clean and Care for a Wooden Cutting Board So It Lasts for Years.”

Photo by Studio95 – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Replace plastic dish scrubbers and sponges. Options include compostable Swedish dishcloths made from cellulose and cotton, such as If You Care Sponge Cloths, which are reusable, machine washable, and certified for composting at their end of life in both commercial and home composting systems. Dish scrubber pads made from sisal, coconut coir, or bamboo fibers can also help you reduce plastic. Be careful though—some scrubbing pads made with natural materials such as walnut shells sometimes include recycled plastic from water bottles. Be sure to check the product packaging/description carefully if you want a plastic-free item.

This and the preceding two tips may be useful at work for food service operations like restaurants, cafeterias, or other food-focused businesses.

Opt for wool dryer balls instead of single-use dryer sheets that are typically made from polyester. See “How Long Do Dryer Balls Last? Plus How to Refresh Them” by Mary Marlow Leverette, writing for Real Simple, to ensure your dryer balls last as long as possible–we may be focused on plastic this month, but let’s remember to reduce all waste!

Switch to tablet forms of toothpaste and mouthwash to eliminate plastic tubes and bottles (e.g. these products from Bite) and consider a toothbrush made from bamboo with plant-based bristles (e.g. Brush with Bamboo; note the bristles are not compostable and should be removed if you plan to compost the handle). You can also find plastic-free dental floss, made from natural silk, corn-derived starch, or bamboo. James Miller reviews these floss options in “8 Best Plastic-Free Dental Floss Brands Tested.”

These swaps may also be useful for dentist and orthodontist offices.

Photo by Harry Wedzinga – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Ditch disposable wipes. This one works for office settings too, which may have started keeping these on hand during the pandemic and simply never stopped. Whether you’re talking about disposable sanitizing wipes for surfaces or personal cleansing wipes, these items often include synthetic fibers made from polyester or polypropylene, although cotton, cellulose, or rayon may also be used. See the FDA web page “Disposable Wipes” for more information (and note that different agencies regulate wipes depending on their intended purpose). It can be challenging to determine the fibers used when examining product packaging—for example, the “smart label” information for Chlorox wipes includes the ingredients in the cleaning solution the wipes are impregnated with, but not the ingredients of the wipe itself. Since waste reduction is always a good idea, why not skip the wipes entirely or only use them for really nasty messes when a washable cloth would not be desirable? Even then, using a spray cleaner with paper towels made from recycled paper or bamboo would be more environmentally preferable than a single-use wipe made with plastic. If sanitizing a surface is important, note that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that “In most situations, cleaning alone with soap and water can remove most germs, such as harmful viruses or bacteria, on surfaces.” You could also use a can of spray disinfectant (e.g. Lysol or similar product) with a washable cloth or paper towel.

If you really like the convenience of pre-soaked cloths for quick clean ups, consider making your own. On the Nature’s Nurture blog, Sarah Umm Yusuf describes simple cleaning wipes made with castille soap for everyday cleaning, while Mary Marlowe Leverette, writing for The Spruce, describes homemade disinfectant wipes soaked in alcohol.

At work

Avoid disposable coffee pods in the break room. Again, this tip does double duty, since it applies to home kitchens as well, but many offices, especially in public-facing areas like conference rooms or waiting areas, have gravitated toward Keurig-style machines with pods that allow people to brew a single beverage serving. The mountains of resulting plastic waste have been the subject of more than one Internet meme. Honestly, it wasn’t all that long ago when humans managed just fine with regular coffee pots and pitchers of water or other cold drinks at meetings or in waiting areas. Just because pods exist doesn’t mean you have to offer them, and your business might boost its image with customers or employees, if you post a sign near your “old fashioned” offerings tying your choice to waste reduction.

Photo by Elena Medoks – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

If you feel compelled to give individuals choices, and you’re located in an area where commercial composting is available, consider compostable pods. Check out the Corner Coffee Store post “6 Best Eco-Friendly Coffee Pods in 2025: Reviews & Top Picks” by Melissa Gunter to explore options.

If you’re only providing coffee for a small group of employees (or your family at home) and you still want to use pods to allow individual choice, consider providing reusable coffee pods for your crew. In January 2025, Justin Hughes described the pros and cons of “15 Best Reusable Coffee Pods for a Sustainable Brew – Eco-Friendly Choices for Coffee Lovers” on the Cappucino Oracle website.

Eliminate other single-use plastics in break rooms and at catered events. Another double-duty tip here, since it can apply to parties you host at home. If your office/business has a break room, consider stocking it with bulk condiments in the refrigerator, rather than single-use sachets. If you have a sink or dishwasher, provide reusable mugs, plates, cutlery, etc. for employees to use and wash, or encourage employees to bring their own from home.

When you cater a meeting or event, if you’re handling the catering yourself, check out Beyond Plastic’s guide “How to Host a Plastic Free Event.” If you’re using a catering service, ask them in advance to avoid single-use condiments and avoid plastic straws, cutlery, and single-use packaging–and that you’re willing to find a different caterer that can fulfill this request if they can’t. The more potential customers that show an interest in plastic reduction, the more likely caterers in your area will be to make plastic waste reduction part of the status quo.

Avoid plastic packaging when shipping items and reuse plastic packaging that you receive. Use paper fill and wraps instead of bubble wrap or plastic air cushions whenever possible, and opt for paper padded mailers. Check out EcoEnclose (https://www.ecoenclose.com/) for more sustainable packaging options, including branded items, reusable packaging, and even plastic-like pouches, such as Sway’s seaweed-based polybags.

If your office has a supply area, stash plastic mailers, bubble wrap and other items you receive there for reuse. If you’re in the Chicago-area, check out EcoShip, https://ecoship.org/. They currently don’t have a permanent physical location (and are in search of one), but in the past this organization has accepted donations (temporarily on hold) of gently used shipping materials for redistribution—for free. Obtaining used shipping materials is a boon to small businesses. Currently, EcoShip is fundraising to find a permanent forever home. Follow them on social media to stay informed about their progress and next steps.

On the go

Consider keeping a reusable “to-go” kit in your car or backpack. You may have adopted the habit of keeping reusable shopping bags in the trunk of your car so you’re never without them. Maybe you even carry a reusable mug with you, and if you’re really prepared, you might have reusable cutlery and a reusable straw in your purse or briefcase. To take it to the next level, consider keeping a reusable glass or stainless steel food storage container, in your vehicle or bag so you can avoid polystyrene or plastic containers for any leftovers from your restaurant stop.

Photo by SBM Creatives – – stock.adobe.com (Education license, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

You can even ask for takeout food to be put into your own container. Did you know that based on IL Public Act 103-0524, as of January 1, 2024, a “restaurant or retailer may fill or refill a consumer-owned container with ready-to-eat or dry bulk foods.” Note the use of the word “may”—restaurants aren’t required to do this, so expect some of them to say no. However, many establishments may not even be aware of this law, and if you inform them, they might be open. You never know until you try. See the Illinois Department of Public Health guidance on this legislation at https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/food-safety/reducing-food-and-packaging-waste/consumer-owned-containers/guidance.html.

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