Free sustainability assistance for the IL craft beverage industry

Close up of a man's arms and hands, as he stands by a brewing tank. In one hand he holds a glass with beer in it under a spigot. His other hand controls the spigot.

Stand out from the crowd. Be sustainable, be recognized.

The Beverage Resilience Program offers free help to make Illinois craft beverage businesses more sustainable and save money. Brought to you by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and our partner the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), this grant-funded program supports breweries, wineries, distilleries, and other craft beverage businesses across the state of Illinois.

Our team will come to your business and perform a comprehensive site assessment to identify opportunities to reduce energy and water use, waste generation, and costs as well as highlight areas where your business is already excelling in sustainability. The opportunities identified will help you to reduce costs as well, promote sustainability in your community, and differentiate yourself from your peers.

Following your assessment, you will also have the chance to assist in shaping the certification process for green beverage manufacturing in Illinois and to be recognized for your sustainability efforts through the Illinois Green Business Program.

How does it work?

  • Initial Meeting – either via email, conference call, or in person, to discuss needs and concerns
  • Opportunity Assessment – conducted on-site to uncover areas for potential change or improvement
  • Report on Findings – a document providing methods for reducing pollution and potential cost savings
  • Implementation Support – assistance for next steps, if needed
  • Project Review – document savings and benefits

What are the benefits?

  • Promotes sustainable manufacturing and growth
  • Improves profitability, productivity and competitiveness
  • Improves workplace safety through less exposure to hazardous materials
  • Reduces environmental impacts such as:
    • water use, energy and materials
    • waste volume and/or toxicity
  • Increases capacity to attract new business
  • Increases recyclability and/or diversion of by-products

How do I sign up?

Interested businesses should fill out the short form at go.illinois.edu/bev_industry.

Questions can be directed to Owen McMahan at omcmahan@illinois.edu.

Download the Beverage Resilience Program flyer.

This opportunity is made possible by a grant from US EPA Region 5.

Free sustainability assessments for small food businesses in DuPage & Kane Counties

Photo by onephoto for Adobe Stock Images, Education License – University of Illinois

Uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities for your food-focused business! The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), units of the University of Illinois, are 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 in Illinois. By getting assessed, businesses can lower operational costs, reduce wasted food & resources, and attract environmentally-conscious customers. 

Assessments will focus on helping entities reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impacts through pollution prevention, energy efficiency, water reduction, alternatives to hazardous chemicals, and waste reduction including purchasing and disposal. 

What will the process look like?

Step 1: Initial conversation. This will take the form of a brief introductory phone call to discuss the assessment process and expectations. There will also be discussion of utility data collection. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)

Step 2: Pre-Assessment Data Collection & Analysis. The participating business will share utility billing data as available. Providing this information helps our team quantify savings opportunities found on-site. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)

Step 3: Facility Walkthrough. On-site visit to discuss and tour the facility to review current conditions of the facility including infrastructure and operational processes. Identify sustainability opportunities for cost and resource savings. (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)

Step 4: Providing Recommendations & Resources. ISTC and SEDAC will use data and information from previous steps to develop strategies to reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impact. Recommendations and resources will be shared with the participating business via a written report and presentation with Q&A.  (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)

Step 5: ImplementationISTC and SEDAC will assist businesses that are interested in implementing recommended strategies. Implementation assistance includes further guidance on equipment and/or process upgrades, as well as connecting to incentive or funding opportunities. (Participant time commitment will vary.)

Step 6: Case Study (Optional).  A case study will be developed to showcase opportunities uncovered and strategies implemented. (This step is optional. If you decide to share your experiences with peers and customers, your time commitment will be approximately 1 hour to review drafts and provide feedback/approval.)

How do I sign up?

Interested businesses should fill out the short form at https://go.illinois.edu/FoodBusiness.

Participants will be selected on a rolling basis and ISTC and SEDAC will work with participants upon selection until December 2026. Questions can be directed to Zach Samaras at zsamaras@illinois.edu.

This opportunity is made possible by a grant from US EPA Region 5.

Free sustainability training for manufacturers in St. Louis area

The Missouri Association of Manufacturers, in partnership with the Missouri State University Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI), is offering free sustainability training for Missouri manufacturers on February 19, 2025, from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis.

Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between ISTC’s technical assistance providers and Missouri State University, the workshop has been opened up for IL manufacturers located in the St. Louis area. (Note that manufacturers from throughout MO are eligible.)

Participants will receive guidance on the development of a sustainability program, including overviews of various program models such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and more. The session is limited to 20 companies, all of which will receive a complimentary sustainability site assessment for their facilities. Participation is open to manufacturers in all industrial sectors.

Interested manufacturers should visit the Missouri Association of Manufacturers website to register, or contact Andrew LeGrand, 417-863-7262, to confirm eligibility or for other questions.

If you represent an Illinois manufacturer interested in integrating sustainability into your operations but are unable to reserve a spot in this workshop, please reach out to Owen McMahan, 217-333-3684, to learn more about free, grant-funded assessment opportunities available through ISTC.

Public comments sought on food date labeling

Two women look at labels on beverages in front of a cooler.
Photo by Stephen Ausmus. Image Number D1830-30, USDA Agricultural Research Service.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking public input on food date labeling. This Request for Information seeks information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food waste.

From the Federal Register:

On June 12, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration released the final National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics (the National Strategy). The National Strategy lays out a path for the U.S. to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50 percent by 2030.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60 percent) was sent to landfills. An additional 40 million tons of wasted food was generated in the food and beverage manufacturing and processing sectors. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. Wasted wholesome and safe food represents nourishment that could have helped feed families in need. Additionally, water, energy, arable land, and labor used to produce wasted food could have been used for other purposes. Effectively reducing food waste will require cooperation among federal, state, tribal, territory, and local governments, food manufacturers, agriculture producers, faith-based institutions, environmental organizations, communities, and others, all along the entire supply chain.

In response to the draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, FSIS and FDA received comments encouraging an update of the Federal date labeling requirements, including standardizing date labeling. Commenters noted that food manufacturers use a variety of phrases such as “Sell By,” “Use By,” and “Best By” on product labels to describe dates on a voluntary basis. According to commenters, the use of different phrases to describe dates may cause consumer confusion and lead to the premature disposal of wholesome and safe food, because it is past the date printed on the package.

As explained in the final National Strategy, both FSIS and FDA recommend that food industry members voluntarily apply the “Best if Used By” food date label, which notes the date after which quality may decline but the product may still be consumed. The “Best if Used By” label aims to lessen consumer confusion and reduce wasted food. In addition, the “Best if Used By” label was the most frequently perceived by consumers as communicating quality, among the food date labels assessed by researchers at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF), which supports standardizing this label. Although FSIS and FDA encourage the use of the phrase “Best if Used By”, current federal regulations do not prohibit industry from using other date labeling phrases, such as “Sell By” or “Use By,” if they are truthful and not misleading. It should be noted that industry groups have taken steps to address consumer confusion. However, the number, diversity, and complexity of food products in the marketplace along with significant variability in the environmental, storage, and distribution conditions of food create challenges for standardization of food safety or quality date labels.

FSIS and FDA are requesting additional information on industry practices and barriers for standardizing food date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of food date labeling, and any impact date labeling may have on food loss and waste. The information may be used to inform future policy decisions, guidance, or consumer education campaigns on food date labels intended to help reduce the premature discard of wholesome and safe food. Commenters should provide any data, studies, or other evidence that supports their response.”

See 89 FR 96205 for full details, including questions for commenters. Comments must be submitted by February 3, 2025.

Submit comments by one of the following methods:

  • Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website allows commenters to type short comments directly into the comment field on the web page or to attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
  • Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
  • Hand- or Courier-Delivered Submittals: Deliver to 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, Washington, DC 20250-3700.

Learn more and read the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.

Video resources for Pollution Prevention (P2) Week

In a previous post, we noted that September 16-20, 2024 is Pollution Prevention (P2) Week, and highlighted some relevant projects of the ISTC Technical Assistance Program (TAP). To conclude the week, we’ve compiled some video resources that may be of interest, whether you’re unfamiliar with “pollution prevention” or a seasoned practitioner.

“Pollution prevention,” also known as “source reduction,” is any action that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source before recycling, treatment, or disposal. While the term may at first evoke images of smokestacks spewing dirty clouds into the sky or pipes discharging visibly dirty liquids into waterways, P2 is not just for industrial facilities. We all use natural resources, and we all encounter materials at work, regardless of the sector we work within, or in our schools or homes that may cause harm to human or environmental health. So we all have opportunities to use raw materials, water, energy, and other resources more efficiently, or to substitute less harmful substances for hazardous ones. The old proverb, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” rings true in terms of protecting human and environmental health, as well as strengthening our economic well-being.

To learn more about P2, check out these videos:

  • What is Pollution Prevention? (1 minute, 5 seconds) from the U.S. EPA. This is a very basic overview.
  • Pollution Prevention Playlist (8 videos) from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). This includes an explanation of the circular economy; tips for individuals such as donating goods, using reclaimed building materials, composting, and xeriscaping; and housekeeping tips for auto shops.
  • Pollution Prevention #P2 for Businesses (1 minute, 28 seconds). Also from ADEQ.
  • Pollution Prevention (P2) Mini-Webinar Series (5 brief videos per year). Each year the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) produces a short video for each day of P2 Week. For 2024, videos include “Waste Hierarchies” presenting different strategies for managing waste, “Coffee Machines,” focused on an easy way to save energy, “Conductivity Probes,” focused on saving water in industrial settings, “Anesthetic Gases” on a surprising source of greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare settings, and “About MnTAP” introducing the organization and its services. Be sure to check out archives from past years, going back to 2021.

If you’d like to learn more about perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS):

To learn more about choosing safer products in a variety of settings including your home, check out the U.S. EPA Safer Choice Videos collection, also available in Spanish.

Instructors interested in integrating P2 into curricula should explore videos from last year’s “P2 Works” student storytelling challenge. High school and college students used the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) P2 Search Tool to identify facilities reporting source reduction practices. The students created videos telling a compelling story about how these case studies benefitted relevant businesses, communities, and the environment. Visit this website for descriptions and links to the winning videos.

A webinar recorded earlier this week by the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) entitled “Pollution Prevention in EJ Communities” (1 hr., 8 min., 28 sec.) summarizes the results of a recent two-year project funded by the U.S. EPA, including adjustments made throughout the project for better reach, engagement, and service to participating businesses.

Finally, the ISTC Sustainability Seminar Series frequently features P2 topics. Visit the series webpage to learn more and explore archived recordings going back to 2007.

 

Pollution Prevention Week 2024: Together we are one planet

Pollution Prevention (P2) Week occurs every September and this year’s theme “Together We are One Planet” reminds us that individual actions can effect overall positive change in our environment. Are you ready to be a change-maker and move forward with plans for reducing environmental impacts at your organization?

With pollution prevention grants provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) at the Prairie Research Institute’s Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can assist you! These grants focus on assisting manufacturers within Illinois to identify areas at the product, process, and system level to minimize waste, improve energy, and increase resource efficiency. By creating a strategy for sustainable improvement, your organization can remain competitive and profitable, while protecting the environment.

Our outreach is statewide, and each grant may focus on specific sectors, areas, or training. We hope you will take a few minutes to review these opportunities and allow us to assist you.

Assistance is fully confidential, without cost, or obligation to implement recommendations. Our technical assistance specialists will work with you every step of the way, identifying opportunities for improvement, related cost savings, and guiding you through implementation, if desired.

You can schedule your free site visit today by filling out our online request form, or connect with our technical assistance team by contacting Irene Zlevor, izlevor@illinois.edu, 217-300-8617.

August 1, 2024, marks “Earth Overshoot Day”

Earth Overshoot Day Logog

Since 1971, the Global Footprint Network has calculated “Earth Overshoot Day” to highlight the impacts and implications of human resource consumption. As stated on the event website, “Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

“To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day for each year, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and multiplying by the number of days in a year. This year, as we are in a leap year, it is 366 days:

(Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 366 = Earth Overshoot Day”

In 2024, Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 1st.  Collectively, humanity would need 1.75 Earths to meet its resource demands.

The numbers get worse if you look at consumption at the country level. If everyone globally lived like the residents of the United States of America, Earth Overshoot Day would have occurred on March 14th this year, and humanity would need the equivalent of five Earths to match resource demands.

Graphic showing the relative environmental footprint of different countries.

See https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/2024-calculation/ to learn more about how this year’s Earth Overshoot Day was calculated.

Clearly, none of this is sustainable. So what can we do to #MoveTheDate later in the year, so our demands better match the ability of Earth to regenerate ecological resources? The Global Footprint Network presents potential solutions to pursue individually and collectively as “The Power of Possibility” in five main categories:

  • Cities: How we design and manage cities
  • Energy: How we power ourselves
  • Food: How we feed ourselves
  • Population: How many of us are there
  • Planet: How we help nature thrive

See https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/power-of-possibility/ to learn more about potential strategies in each of these categories in detail. For each strategy, the Earth Overshoot Day website explains how much implementation would shift the overshoot date and how the strategy is scalable. The website also provides classroom activities and a link to a personal environmental footprint calculator to help individuals understand their lifestyle impacts.

Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, who created the concept of the environmental footprint with Professor William E. Rees in the early 1990s, provides an online primer to understanding the implications of overshoot and how to respond. He states “Because the accumulated stock of nature is finite, overshoot will inevitably end as stock get depleted. The question, therefore, is not whether it will end, only how. It can end by design or by disaster – most likely it will be a combination of both.” Let’s work together to do our best to end overshoot by design.

#MoveTheDate graphic

ISTC is proud to be a 2024 Food Waste Prevention Week Partner

Proud to be a Food Waste Prevention Week Partner, April 1-7, 2024

Mark your calendars for Food Waste Prevention Week, scheduled to take place April 1-7 this year. 

In 2019 alone, EPA estimates that about 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to landfills.  Food Waste Prevention Week is a collaborative effort to raise awareness about food waste and its negative impacts on our society and environment, while also sharing resources to help individuals, families, and organizations reduce their own food waste. Because its Technical Assistance Program (TAP) has experience working on food waste reduction and management projects, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center is proud to be a partner organization for Food Waste Prevention Week for the second year in a row!

Be sure to check ISTC’s social media platforms during April 1-7, as we highlight some of the past and present work TAP is doing related to food waste, as well as facts and resources to help you on your food waste reduction journey. If you’re not already following us on social media, you can connect with us on:

Throughout the week, several partners across the U.S. will host webinars to inspire action to reduce food waste. For example:

  • Closing the Loop. On Monday, April 1, at noon Central, join an informative discussion on what food waste generators can do to sustainably process their waste via on- and off-site composting, biodigesters, anaerobic digesters, etc. Register here.
  • Harnessing the Power of Food Preferences for Overproduction Reduction. Unveil how individual eating preferences can be a game-changer in minimizing food waste in food services. Learn how culinary IDs are the key to precise production while offering diners a better, personalized experience at scale. This webinar will be on April 1 from 1-1:50 PM Central time. Register here.
  • USDA Programs, Investments, and Innovations to Prevent and Reduce Food Loss and Waste. On April 2, from 11 AM to noon Central, join Dr. Jean Buzby (USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison) and a panel of leaders from across USDA (NIFA, OUAIP, FNS, and ARS) to learn about some of the ways the agency engages in food loss and waste prevention and reduction across the U.S. food supply chain. Register here.
  • Gleaning: Reduce Loss & Waste at the Farm. On April 3 from 3-3:50 PM Central, join the Society of St. Andrew’s experts on gleaning and learn about its impact. They will discuss the benefits of gleaning crops for farmers, local hunger relief agencies, and volunteers alike, the impact of SoSA’s work over 40+ years, and ways to get involved in your locale. Register here.
  • Food Production and Sustainability. This thought-provoking panel discussion of industry experts will explore the industrial perspective of the fight against food waste and share strategies for implementing sustainability without compromising operational effectiveness. Join the discussion April 4th from 10-10:50 AM CDT. Register here.
  • From Food Scraps to Soil Food: Starting a Drop-Off Program in Your Community.​ Learn how East Hampton Compost is growing awareness of food waste, diverting scraps from the waste stream and enriching local soils. A collaboration between ReWild Long Island and the Town of East Hampton, with local high school students staffing drop-off locations and working on outreach. Dive into the dirt to gain valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of piloting an all-volunteer initiative, as well as actionable strategies for starting one in your community. This webinar will be on April 4 from 2-2:50 PM. Register here.

See the Food Waste Prevention Week “Webinars” page for additional webinars scheduled for Food Waste Prevention Week, and learn more about other ways you can get involved at https://www.foodwastepreventionweek.com/get-involved.

What is Pollution Prevention?

US EPA Waste Management Hierarchy including pollution prevention
A version of the U.S. EPA Waste Management Hierarchy showing pollution prevention. See https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-non-hazardous-materials-and-waste-management-hierarchy for the more typical version.

September is a time to think about pollution prevention, aka P2, because the third week of September every year is celebrated as Pollution Prevention (P2) Week in the U.S. In 2023, P2 Week will be September 18-22. As you mark your calendar, you may ask yourself—what exactly is pollution prevention, and how can I contribute to the effort?

First, let’s take a moment to consider what pollution itself is. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines pollution as “any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard. The usefulness of the natural resource is usually impaired by the presence of pollutants and contaminants.” So, pollution is the contamination of the environment by potentially harmful substances. If you think of a polluted environment as analogous to a human body with harmful chemicals in it or disease, then it’s easy to think of pollution prevention as analogous to disease prevention. You’ve probably heard the old quote from Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although Franklin was talking about the prevention of house fires, in modern times, the phrase has come to be used in the sense of health care. It means that taking preventative measures (e.g., exercising, watching what you eat, getting enough sleep, etc.) is a much more sensible strategy to take, wherever possible, than waiting until disease sets in and then working to treat it. It’s far better to avoid a problem than to have to try to solve the problem afterward.

Thus, pollution prevention is the sensible strategy of preventing the release of harmful substances into the environment, aka source reduction, to avoid the negative impacts of pollution and the cost, time, energy, and other resources that would otherwise need to be expended on environmental clean-up after the fact. Or, as the U.S. EPA states, pollution prevention is “actively identifying equipment, processes, and activities which generate excessive wastes or use toxic chemicals and then making substitutions, alterations, or product improvements.” P2, or source reduction, “is fundamentally different and, where feasible, more desirable than recycling, treatment or disposal. It is often more cost effective to prevent pollution from being created at its source than to pay for control, treatment and disposal of waste products.  When less pollution is created, there are fewer impacts to human health and the environment.”

P2 practices for manufacturing and industrial sectors might entail using less toxic cleaners, less hazardous ingredients or process inputs, conserving energy and water, and reducing waste through the reuse of materials such as drums or pallets. Manufacturers and supporting industries in Illinois can also contact the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC ) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to learn more about U.S. EPA-funded P2 assistance available free of charge to members of the aerospace, automotive, chemical, food and beverage, and metal manufacturing and fabrication sectors. See https://uofi.box.com/s/ypoep56408o4kk5pl0qpt2ojpwyo82qh and https://uofi.box.com/s/1crril27e0td9nd3j3njgh49mzoom0q5 for details.

The principles of P2 can be applied to any sector or effort and in homes and schools. It’s all about more efficient use of valuable resources, such as energy and water, using less-toxic materials and products, and avoiding the generation of waste so you don’t have to deal with as many disposal considerations. So, if you practice waste reduction by eliminating disposable products and single-use plastics, if you purchase and use energy-efficient appliances and weatherize your home for the winter, if you look for and fix leaky pipes or faucets, or if you use safer cleaners, you’re practicing P2!

Use the following resources to learn more about P2 and how you can contribute to “preventative medicine” for environmental health and our collective human health which depends upon a healthy environment.

TAP offers free sustainable manufacturing training for facilities in Illinois

Image of a grey vehicle being assembled in a factory
Photo by Lenny Kuhne on Unsplash

The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) within the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois is excited to announce an innovative training program under a grant funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The focus of this grant is to increase the competitiveness of Illinois manufacturers by reducing environmental impacts and costs. 

This program will provide eligible manufacturers in Illinois with training and skills needed to assess their operations through a sustainability lens, resulting in minimized waste and improved energy and resource efficiency, while protecting environmental and human health. By training facility personnel in proven methods to perform an assessment, participants can achieve cost savings and reductions in energy, water, and hazardous materials/waste methods. This model can be incorporated into company practices to repeat source reduction/pollution prevention savings efforts for years to come.

This grant-funded service explained in our flyer is delivered at no cost to manufacturers and their supporting industries across many sectors including aerospace; automotive; chemical; food & beverage; and metal finishing & fabrication.

The services provided by our team are fully confidential and completely free to manufacturers, with no obligation. Our technical assistance specialists work with your team to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and help guide you through the implementation process to ensure success in achieving sustainability goals and related cost savings. Note that priority for participation will be given to manufacturers in underserved communities, identified using the U.S. EPA’s EJScreen tool, though participation is not restricted to facilities in those communities. Other grant opportunities may be available to assist interested manufacturers.

TAP welcomes the opportunity to provide more details about this program. Please schedule your initial site visit today by filling out our online request form.  Questions? Contact Irene Zlevor, izlevor@illinois.edu, for additional information or to connect with a member of our technical assistance team!