How UIC diverted 188 pounds of shirts from landfills

If you were at convocation on Aug. 26, you may have had a chance to try out screen printing. At a table on the floor of Credit Union One Arena, a handful of local artists helped convocation attendees print one of three designs in white ink on tote bags. The line to participate was long and continuous, and hundreds of people walked away with a custom memento of the event welcoming new students to campus.

These weren't just standard tote bags, however. They were part of UIC's rebranding campaign happening this year, and a demonstration of UIC's sustainability goals.

Students screen print on tote bags at convocation. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) A student tries his hand at screen printing with the help of a local artist at convocation. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC)

The project started months before convocation. This year, the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications is rolling out a refresh of the UIC brand. That means replacing banners and signage across campus, maps, floor mats in buildings, bus signs, hats, shirts - anything bearing outdated images or graphics. You've probably already noticed some of this replacement, such as the new vertical banners hanging from poles as you enter campus.

Replacing all these materials across campus is a big undertaking. Rather than consigning outdated materials to the trash, Rachel Suarez, UIC associate director of brand management, looked for an alternative - a way to repurpose materials into something useful.

To get started, Suarez partnered with UIC Planning, Sustainability and Project Management to create an upcycling initiative. In line with its goal of promoting sustainability on campus, the department facilitated funding from the student-led Sustainability Fund, which supports sustainability projects that have an impact on students.

Suarez's plan: to divert retired UIC-branded shirts from the landfill by transforming them into reusable tote bags. She reached out to local, sustainability-minded makers with the Nowhere Collective and upcycling artists from Remade in Chicago. By collaborating with local makers and the campus community, the project would also advance UIC's Climate Commitment Action Plan by reducing textile waste, promoting circular resource use and engaging students in hands-on sustainability education.

Over the summer, Suarez asked other UIC departments and staff to turn in their outdated shirts, banners and other materials for repurposing. The goal of collecting 500 shirts was easily met as departments, especially Campus Housing, gathered and donated outdated shirts to prepare themselves for the brand refresh.

Once the shirts were collected, 20 volunteers - a mix of UIC staff, a few family members and some of the participating artists - gathered for an intensive handiwork session at the College of Engineering's Makerspace to cut the arms and necks off hundreds of shirts. Next, the artists fashioned the cut-up shirts into tote bags and, voila, they were ready for screen printing at convocation.

At UIC's Makerspace, volunteers cut up shirts, the first step in their reuse. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Later, local sewers fashioned the shirts into tote bags. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Volunteers included UIC staff and local artists involved in the project. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC)

The initiative came to fruition at Credit Union One Arena during convocation, the annual event that brings together students, alums, faculty, staff, friends and family to celebrate the start of a new academic year. This year saw the largest convocation ever, with 3,564 people.

"The energy at convocation was incredible," said Karen Gashi, a local artist who partnered with Nowhere Collective to sew the shirts into tote bags. "For two hours, we helped several hundred students to screen print their own bags."

While the process for many students was new, they were eager to learn.

"The students' reaction was pure enthusiasm," Gashi said. "They loved the hands-on process and the clever, zero-waste transformation. Walking away with a custom item that honored both UIC's fresh look and a commitment to sustainability set a great tone for their start on campus."

"I loved seeing how proud they were after the reveal of their UIC graphic," said Katy Osborn, founder and CEO of Nowhere Collective. "The students lit up when they learned that the upcycled totes would otherwise be waste."

For Gashi, partnering with Nowhere Collective was a no-brainer.

"I jumped at the chance to be involved with an event that puts upcycling directly into the hands of the next generation," she said. "Showing college students that sustainability isn't just a concept - that it can be functional, creative and fun - is why I do what I do."

In all, the initiative diverted almost 188 pounds of shirts from landfills.

"Our refreshed brand is about making UIC known through experiences people can see, feel and remember," said Chandra Harris-McCray, vice chancellor for Strategic Marketing and Communications. "This project is a beautiful example of that in action: It made known our commitment to sustainability while giving our community a hands-on, creative way to engage with who we are. When we lead with intention and let access and excellence guide the work, we tell a bolder, more empowered story of this university. Together, we're creating something unmistakably UIC and making UIC known."