Author: Laura L Barnes

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2015 Governor’s Awards Ceremony Keynote – Harry Moser, Founder and President of The Reshoring Initiative

Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative, will be the keynote speaker at the 29th Annual Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Awards. He will discuss his organization and how reshoring can reshape the U.S. economy and bring greater sustainability into manufacturing.

 

What is the Reshoring Initiative?

 

Reshoring Initiative LogoThe United States used to be the world’s industrial powerhouse. However, times have changed. Many American manufacturing plants have closed due to many decades of off-shoring. The Reshoring Initiative’s founder and now president, Harry Moser, grew up during the United States’ manufacturing boom. As he saw manufacturing jobs begin to disappear due to off-shoring, he decided that it was critically important to start an industry-led initiative is not always the best economical decision for companies.

 

The mission of the Reshoring Initiative is to bring well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States by helping companies to more accurately assess the total cost of offshoring, and shift collective thinking from “offshoring is cheaper” to “local reduces the total cost of ownership”.

 

There are major costs to off-shoring that companies sometimes do not consider. The main goal of the Reshoring Initiative is to help manufacturers realize that local production can sometimes reduce their total cost of ownership. It also helps train suppliers to effectively meet the needs of their local customers. This training gives suppliers the tools to help them compete with lower priced, offshore competitors.

 

As reshoring gains momentum, the Reshoring Initiative continues to spread the “return-manufacturing-home” message to help other manufacturers realize America is an advantageous place to produce goods.

 

Tools to Assist Manufacturers

 

The Reshoring Initiative believes it is important to provide information, case studies, webinars, data, and other tools to help companies learn more and find real-world examples and success stories of manufacturers who have reshored operations or processes. Many of these stories highlight how reshoring has helped to create good jobs and enhance deliverables to customers.

 

One tool that the organization has created is the Total Cost of Ownership Estimator. It is designed to help companies account for all relevant factors, including overhead, balance sheets, risks, corporate strategy, and other external and internal business considerations, to determine the true total cost of ownership. By using this tool, companies can better evaluate sourcing, identify alternatives, and even make a case when selling against offshore competitors. This industry-leading tool provides a framework for companies to evaluate their operations and make critical decisions about reshoring and sourcing.

 

About Harry Moser

 

HarryMoser_6690-1Harry Moser founded the Reshoring Initiative to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. by documenting and promoting the trend and encouraging the use of Total Cost of Ownership analysis. Largely due to the success of the Reshoring Initiative, Harry was inducted into the Industry Week Manufacturing Hall of Fame 2010 and was named Quality Magazine’s Quality Professional of the year for 2012. He participated actively in President Obama’s 2012 Insourcing Forum at the White House; won the Jan. 2013 The Economist debate on outsourcing and offshoring; and received the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s Industry Advocacy Award in 2014.

 

About the Governor’s Sustainability Awards

 

Now in its 29th year, the Illinois Governors’ Sustainability Awards recognize organizations in Illinois that demonstrate a commitment to our economy, society and environment through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.

 

Registration for the awards ceremony opens September 1st, 2015. Sponsorship opportunities are available now. Contact Cassie Carroll at ccarrol2@illinois.edu for more information.

 

 

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New research paper: Improved Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Detection of Arsenic (III) Using Nanoporous Gold Microelectrode

ISTC’s Junhua Jiang, Nancy Holm, and Kevin O’Brien recently published a paper in the ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology. The research described the use of a nanoporous gold (NPG) microelectrode to detect arsenic in water. The full citation and abstract for the article appear below.

 

Junhua Jiang, Nancy Holm, and Kevin O’Brien (2015). “Improved Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Detection of Arsenic (III) Using Nanoporous Gold Microelectrode.” ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology 4(10), S3024-S3029. DOI: 10.1149/2.0061510jss.
 
Abstract: A nanoporous gold (NPG) microelectrode with high catalytic activity was prepared by applying potential cycles to a polycrystalline Au-disk microelectrode in an ionic liquid electrolyte containing ZnCl2 at elevated temperature. Scanning-electron microscope measurements showed that the nanoporous structures of the NPG microelectrode are characteristic of nanopores and ligament spacings. The response of the NPG microelectrode to both As(III) and As(V) was studied in dilute HNO3 media using cyclic voltammetry and anodic stripping voltammetry, and compared to those of the Au-disk microelectrode. It was found that both the amounts of As per unit surface area deposited through the reduction of As(III) as well as the Faradaic reversibility associated with the As deposition and its corresponding anodic dissolution were significantly higher on the NPG than on the Au-disk. They contribute to higher anodic stripping peaks observed on the NPG. A limit of detection of 20 nM and, more importantly, a 10-fold enhancement of sensitivity were obtained on the NPG microelectrode. These values suggest that the NPG microelectrode may lead to an efficient and low-cost technique for electrochemical detection of As(III) in water. However, both the NPG and Au-disk microelectrodes showed no response to As(V) under similar conditions.

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Where to donate your used stuff in Champaign-Urbana

There are many non-profit organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area that accept donations all year. This post will be updated as new information becomes available. Contact the author with suggestions.

 

Courage Connection

Courage Connection provides housing and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness or who are victims of domestic violence. They operate a thrift store called Connection in Lincoln Square Mall, which sells donated clothing items for women, men and children, as well as gently used home décor and housewares. All proceeds assist families in our community. Courage Connection clients also get free emergency and professional clothing there. Donations accepted during store hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Hours are M-F 10-6, Saturday 9-5. Donations are tax-deductible. See http://courageconnection.org/our-store/donations/ for a complete list of acceptable items.

Pick-up service for large donation items (e.g. furniture) is available at no charge in Champaign, Urbana and Savoy. They require a photo to be emailed to them to make sure they have space for your item. Pick-up appointments can be arranged for Tuesday mornings or Thursday afternoons. See http://courageconnection.org/our-store/pick-up-and-delivery/. Contact: 217-384-2158; store@courageconnection.org.

 

Champaign-Urbana Theater Company (CUTC)

Accepts limited donations of clothing and other items for use as costumes and props. Accepts latex paint if the can is at least 1/2 full. They will also accept lumber and other set construction materials if they are whole and in good condition (no scraps). Contact the costume manager ( costumes@cutc.org ) for clothing donations and the company’s executive director (manager@cutc.org) for all other items.

Crisis Nursery
Crisis Nursery works to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing 24-hour emergency care for children and support to strengthen families in crisis. See Items can be dropped off M-F 8-5. See https://www.crisisnursery.net/GivingOpportunities/NeedsWishList.aspx for their wish list. Contact: 217-337-2731

Goodwill/Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries, Inc.

There are Goodwill Stores in Champaign, Savoy (where the old Pages for All Ages book store used to be in the Savoy Plaza), the LaBelle Boutique in Urbana, and an express donation center in Savoy. Donations are accepted Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to store closing and on Sunday from noon to store closing. Donations are tax-deductible. See http://www.llgi.org/donate-or-volunteer/unacceptable-donations/ for a list of items they will NOT accept.

Goodwill participates in Dell’s Reconnect electronics recycling program. Note that they do NOT accept CRT monitors—only flatscreen monitors and TVs in working condition. Please consult the Champaign County Electronics Reuse and Recycling Guide for a list (beginning on p. 3) of other local businesses that accept unwanted electronics.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore
The main store address is 119 East University Avenue, Champaign. See http://cuhabitat.org/re-store/donate-materials/ for list of acceptable items. Donations are accepted at the store Monday – Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. To arrange a pick up for donations call (217) 355-6460. The ReStore is open Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. Note that there may be a fee for pick up or delivery of items. Contact: 217-359-0507 or 217-819-5118; restore@cuhabitat.org

The IDEA Store

The IDEA Store is a materials-for-the-arts and educational reuse store where you can donate a variety of items that would otherwise go to the landfill. All proceeds from store sales benefit the CU Schools Foundation. Donations are accepted during store hours, Tuesday-Friday noon-7pm & Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm. Donations are tax deductible. See http://the-idea-store.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Acceptance-List-9-20-12.pdf for the donation list, which includes almost anything that might be used for craft projects and office/school supplies.

Teachers, keep the IDEA Store in mind if you need supplies for class projects or extra school supplies. You can often get a lot of material for a small price. Items are often sold by the pound. In the fall, they highlight items that appear on school supply lists. See http://the-idea-store.org/retail-store/ for more information. If you’re looking for a particular type of material, you can let them know and they’ll contact you if they receive anything that fits your needs. Contact: 217-352-7878; info@the-idea-store.org

Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA)

PACA accepts architectural pieces (doors, windows, fixtures, etc.), furniture, storage items like filing cabinets, and even small home décor items. Contact them if you have items you suspect they might be interested in to determine if they will accept the item and/or have space for it. The warehouse is at 44 E Washington St, Champaign, IL. Their warehouse hours are Tuesday 10-4, Wed. 10-7, Th & F 10-4 & Sat. 9-12. Contact: 217-359-7222; pacaexdir@gmail.com.

University YMCA Dump and Run

Each year as students leave campus in droves, lots of useful materials end up headed to the landfill. The University YMCA Dump & Run collects some of this material and then sells it a large community garage sale in the fall—just in time for students to move back into the campus area and need items for their dorm rooms or apartments.

They accept: furniture, dishes, glassware, pots & pans, small household appliances, computers, electronics, bicycles, office & school supplies, nearly-new clothing, books, toiletries, lawn & garden, artwork, vinyl & cds, musical instruments, sporting equipment & other household goods. They DO NOT collect televisions, paint, child/infant car seats, stoves, washers, dryers, non-working electronics & computer parts, sleeper sofas, mattresses, televisions, or large exercise equipment. Contact Emily at 217-337-1500 or emily@universityymca.org to schedule a pick up time on our special pick up day on Saturday, August 8, 2015. Contact: Emily Cross, 217-337-1500: emily@universityymca.org.

 

Champaign County Humane Society

Accepts a variety of items for donation, including cleaning and office supplies. See http://www.cuhumane.org/Donate/WishList.aspx for their wish list.

Local Libraries

Most area libraries (including the University of Illinois) accept used books, CDs & DVDs. If you don’t see your library on the list below, contact them directly to inquire about making a donation.

Park District Camps and Preschools

Contact the Champaign or Urbana Park Districts to donate gently used books, educational items, school supplies, or craft supplies.

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New ISTC Publication: Softener Feed Water Reduction

Download the document.

 

Abstract: Founded in 1915, Carus Corporation is an environmental services company located in LaSalle, Illinois that manufactures a range of products for municipal and industrial markets. The site currently uses approximately 1,360 gallons of water per minute daily. This is equivalent to 1,958,400 gallons per day or 675 million gallons per year, based on 345 days of operation. In 2014, they were charged $0.798 per 100 cubic feet of water used, including the city′s 5% utility tax. In 2015, the company began a new water contract with the city that increased their water usage rate to $1.145 per 100 cubic feet. If they continue to use water at their 2014 rate, they would spend $1,033,725, which as an increase of $312,962. Their goal was to develop a plan to reduce current water usage by utilizing spent non−contact cooling water from their crystallizer hot well to feed their water softeners in the boiler house. Previously,they had used raw city water to feed the softeners, which consume approximately 100 gallons of water per minute. Factoring in the increased cost of the new contract, they saved $86,600 to $120,200 per year and reduced their water usage by 56.6. to 65.6 million gallons.

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Locating sustainability information using ISTC’s LibGuides

LibGuides is a web 2.0 platform that librarians use to create topical guides to help their users find information. It combines the best features of social networks, wikis, and blogs into one package. Librarians can incorporate RSS feeds, video, web links, bibliographic citations, search boxes, and other finding aids.

 

LibGuides also allow librarians to create polls and allows users to comment on specific resources and tools within each guide. Users can also sign up to receive e-mail alerts when new content is published, either for particular topics/keywords or for a specific librarian. The guides created by ISTC’s Sustainability Information Curator are available here.

 

Some guides of particular interest include:

 

 

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New ISTC Research Report: Advanced Separation Systems for Adsorption and Filtration of Environmental Contaminants

Download the document.

As regulations governing environmental water pollution are enacted, the demand for improved remediation technologies and related materials must be addressed. Some of the most problematic pollutants are the volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) because of their high mobility through soils and into aquifers, and their resistance to biodegradation. Some of the most ubiquitous of these chemicals include trichloroethylene (TCE), chloroform, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) due to their prolific use in the metals finishing, dry-cleaning, water treatment and reformulated gasoline industries.

In the present study, activated carbon fiber assemblies (ACFAs) were developed and tailored to adsorb these contaminants and improve upon the current industry standard of activated carbon granules (ACGs) while remaining cost competitive. These new materials have higher surface areas, faster adsorption rates due to improved contact efficiencies, and in situ regeneration capability through electrical resistance heating when compared with ACGs.

Advantage is taken of flexible fabrication techniques to tailor porosity and surface chemistry for the specific removal of TCE, chloroform and MTBE from water. The surface area, microporosity, and surface chemistry of ACFA coatings were monitored through the use of TGA, BET N2 adsorption, elemental analysis, and XPS equipment while aqueous VOC concentrations were analyzed using a purge & trap GC. Static and dynamic adsorption evaluations displayed a major improvement over ACGs and the contaminated ACFAs also demonstrated the ability to be regenerated under relatively mild conditions.

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Study Finds Biomass Gasification Ash Is Right Stuff for Strong, Light Masonry

BGAbrickAsh produced from biofuel production by biomass gasification is suitable for use in bricks and concrete and lowers costs, according to a recent technical report published by ISTC.

 

Biomass converted to biofuels grew 500 percent in the U.S. between 2002 and 2013. Biomass gasification ash (BGA) from the conversion process costs $80 a ton to landfill and ash amounts will continue to increase when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stabilizes agricultural markets with strong Renewable Volume Obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. So it is beneficial to explore utilizing BGA for useful products instead of landfilling.

 

Coal ash has long been effectively used as a raw material in brick and concrete production. High unburned carbon in ash adds to the firing energy of bricks in a kiln. Coal ash also has high lime content which gives it self-cementing properties that can substitute for some cement in concrete production.

 

Researchers at ISTC, a unit of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Eastern Illinois University (EIU) found BGA shares these traits, allowing cheaper manufacture of standardized quality masonry products using the waste BGA.

 

For brick making, 5-18 percent BGA replaced clay and shale. The best results were seen with ash replacement of 5-10 percent. In this range, bricks were lighter in color and weight, but still met ASTM standards for compression strength of several grades of bricks.

 

Concrete mixes replacing 10-20 percent of Portland cement with BGA showed minimum compressive strength typical of 3,000 psi grades. The work was conducted at ISTC labs by Vinod Patel, B.K. Sharma and Wei Zhang and at EIU labs by Peter Ping Liu and Mori Toosi. The BGA was supplied from EIU’s Renewable Energy Center.

 

“This offers the potential for renewable biofuel production becoming a sustainable energy source if the byproducts can be beneficially utilized avoiding costly landfills,” said Patel, a manufacturing engineer at ISTC’s Oak Brook office.

 

As per an economic analysis considering materials and transportation, a cement company replacing 20 percent of the 6,675 tons of cement it uses annually with BGA would save nearly $155,000. The ash producer would save an additional $107,000 by avoiding landfill fees.

 

“That is in addition to energy savings of 1,906 MMBTUs and reduced CO2 emissions of 1,336 tons,” explained Toosi, a Professor at the School of Technology at EIU.

 

In a case study for a brick producer making 120 million bricks annually, 10 percent BGA use could cut production costs by $153,000. BGA suppliers could save $2.4 million by avoiding landfilling fees.

 

Experimental data also suggested that ash of small particles (0.150 mm and 0.075 mm) might increase concrete strength above 4,500 psi, even at 20 percent addition of BGA.

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ISTC publishes Billion Gallon Water Challenge updates

As population increases, the demand for clean, fresh water will also rise, making existing supplies a very precious resource in Illinois and other parts of the US. ISTC seeks to help businesses, industries, communities, and the general public with water conservation measures such as:

  • Using water more efficiently
  • Reuse of water
  • Finding new ways to keep our water resources as clean as possible

ISTC has set a goal of conserving one billion gallons of water in Illinois. It is funding projects and conducting its own research along with other scientists, industry and other experts that will be looking for:

  • Improved treatment of wastewater
  • Reuse of process water in factories
  • Novel recycling methods
  • Other significant water-saving measures

To date, there have been three case studies published as a result of these efforts. They are:

For more information, visit the One Billion Gallon Water Challenge web site.

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An Updated Look at PCBs in Illinois Published by University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute

The Prairie Research Institute has published An Updated Look at PCBs, a report stemming from the Sept. 17 scientific workshop on “PCBs and Their Impact in Illinois”.  The one-day workshop on the University of Illinois Chicago campus gathered leading authorities on the history and science about the persistent pollutant.

 

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used in industry as a coolant and electrical insulator. The report, videos of panel presentations, and other useful information are available for viewing on the PCB workshop website.

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Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award application deadline is May 31

Applications for the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 2013.  Please remember to submit your application by this date to be recognized for your environmental efforts.

 

Details and application information can be found on the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center website  http://www.istc.illinois.edu/info/govs_awards.cfm.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Jacobson at djacobso@illinois.edu.