CHAMPAIGN COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : s****e@c*******w.c*m
Mission Statement
CCES supports the ability of area citizens to responsibly manage materials by advancing improved local options for recycling, composting food scraps, and the safe and convenient disposal of household hazardous waste. We foster local solutions for waste reduction, such as reduction of single-use plastics. We provide useful information and resources that assist citizens in these efforts.
About This Cause
Establish a HHW Collection Facility The CCES project to establish a HHW collection facility in Champaign County addresses the long-standing need for convenient and safe HHW collection in the east central Illinois region and will help ensure a safe environment for area residents and businesses for years to come. Financing HHW Collection Facility Project Capital Costs As of February 2024, the updated total project capital cost estimate ranges from $2,715,496 to $3,269,977. The high range increase includes added options to provide geothermal, solar panels, and a site security fence. On August 18, 2023, CCES purchased a 4.78-acre site at 901 Saline Court, Urbana on which to construct the HHW collection facility. As of mid-February 2024, CCES has raised a total of $1,128,000 toward HHW project capital costs. Financing HHW Collection Facility Annual Operating Costs Annual operating costs of the facility are estimated at $175,000 to $200,000. • In January 2024, CCES and the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District entered into an agreement regarding the UCSD contributing the amount of $25,000 annually to support HHW collection facility operations. • CCES has provided a preliminary request for annual operating support of the HHW collection facility to Champaign County, City of Urbana, and City of Champaign. During 2024 and 2025, CCES will seek to enter into a cost-share agreement with these and other area local governmental entities for each to provide a fair-share or equitable portion of the operational costs, based on population. • CCES will leverage annually appropriated funds in the amount of $275K from the Illinois EPA for transportation and processing of HHW collected at the facility. Estimated Project Timeline As of January 2025, the estimated HHW Collection Facility Project Timeline is as follows: Activity Month/Year CCES HHW Project Community Capital Campaign Aug ’23 – Jul '25 Phase 2 Architectural Drawings/Engineering/Construction/Permit Docs Jun ‘25 Prep for Permit Applications Feb ’25 – Jun ‘25 Phase 2 Architectural Drawings/Engineering/Const Plans July ‘24 Local Siting Approval, IEPA Permit Review, Urbana Building Permit Review June ‘25 Bid solicitation, submission, selection. Oct ‘25 – Dec ‘25 Contract formation Jan ‘26 Construction and inspections Feb ‘26 – Jan ‘27 HHW collection facility open and operational Feb ’27 or sooner Pre-Consumer Commercial Food Scrap Compost Pilot Project Food scrap collection for composting is not yet available in Champaign County. In 2021, CCES received a 2021 Land, Health, and Community Grant from Lumpkin Family Foundation (LFF) for the CCES Pre-Consumer Commercial Food Scrap Compost Pilot Project. The grant provided for the installation of a concrete bunker to allow food scrap composting at the Landscape Recycling Center (LRC) in Urbana. CCES launched a Pilot Project to start a weekly food scrap collection service to commercial pre-consumer food scrap generators (e.g., grocery stores, commercial kitchens, and restaurants) located within or nearby Urbana. A small local waste hauler company served as food scrap collector for the Pilot Project, completing weekly or bi-weekly pick-ups of food scrap containers from the four to five businesses recruited by CCES to participate. The waste hauler delivered collected food scrap to the LRC for composting. In 2022, CCES received a 2022 Land, Health, and Community Grant from LFF to enable the Pilot Project food scrap hauler to successfully advance and grow the ongoing Pilot Project to collect pre-consumer commercial food scrap in the Urbana area using a mechanical lift system instead of a manual collection system. Unfortunately, in July 2023, the waste hauler opted out of the Pilot Project. The mechanical lift system delivery had been delayed, and that acquisition was cancelled once the waste hauler opted out. Since then, the Pilot Project has been on hold. CCES requested a one-year extension to recruit another waste hauler to participate as collector, or to identify an alternate approach to providing food scrap collection consistent with the intent of the Pilot Project grant purpose. As of December, 2023, CCES has notified several waste haulers licensed to operate in Champaign County but has not yet identified a waste hauler to provide food scrap collection for the Pilot Project. In December 2023, CCES reached out to Chicago-based food scrap collector WasteNot Compost to invite them to consider serving as waste hauler for the Pilot Project, or to consider expanding their food scrap collection company to Champaign-Urbana. Discussions with WasteNot Compost continue as of March 2024. Glass Collection for Recycling Pilot Project In Champaign County, waste haulers operating in the cities of Champaign and Urbana are required to accept bottles and glass containers from residents or businesses as part of their curb-side recycling pickup available to residents and recycling collection bins at multiple family residences. Glass collection for recycling options do not exist for other Champaign County residents. This is largely due to the lack of recycled glass processing plants located in east central Illinois and the high costs for a waste hauler to arrange to transport heavy collected glass to a recycled glass processor in St. Louis, Chicago, or Indianapolis. In 2021, CCES collaborated with Hensley Township to obtain their permission to construct a concrete bunker on property owned by Hensley Township. The bunker would serve as a dedicated drop-off transfer point for collected glass bottles and glass containers to be received from area waste haulers only. CCES would arrange for a glass processor company to pick up collected glass from the bunker as needed. This program is on hold as a state task force completes a statewide task force to develop a paper and packaging extended producer responsibility take-back program in Illinois, one which includes glass collection for recycling. Another initiative that CCES is exploring is to encourage development of a restaurant and bar glass collection service in Champaign County, such as the Don’t Trash Glass program that is available in the Chicago area. Financing the Pilot Project To date CCES has raised $9,500 toward construction of a concrete bunker, with an estimated total project cost of approximately $35,000. Project Timeline On hold until sufficient funds can be raised to construct a concrete bunker and until a business plan to sustainably operate the bunker is developed. Residential Tire Collection Event CCES had an opportunity to coordinate a residential tire collection event in August 2022, which was extremely well-received by area residents. For the event, 15 to 20 volunteers are needed to work part-time shifts over the course of two days. The event is held concurrently at two separate locations. Ideally, CCES could plan and coordinate this event on a biennial basis. Financing the Collection Event CCES requested support for the Residential Tire Collection event from local government, public health district, and other stakeholders. An estimate of total costs to hold the event is approximately $5,250. Funds need to be requested from municipalities in November of each budget year. The C-U Public Health District and Champaign County also provided funds to support the past event. Event Timeline The 2022 event was held in early August. As a note, CCES Executive Director was not able to alone coordinate a Residential Tire Collection event to occur in August 2024, due to having no available time in November 2023 to solicit needed event funds and arrange in advance for two locations for the event. Alternatively, the next Residential Tire Collection event could be led by an interested Board member or able volunteer with useful tips and guidance provided by the CCES Executive Director. Local/Regional Information Resource for How to Manage Unwanted Materials CCES aims to continue to develop and maintain the CCES website as a key information resource regarding responsible end-of-life management of unwanted materials.