We repurposed used racing tires from Autobahn Country Club Racing into planters and custom lamps for our sponsors, giving them a second life instead of discarding them. This reduces waste, promotes sustainability, and turns high-performance materials into meaningful, upcycled designs.

Through a cooking oil initiative with the Loyola University School of Environmental Sustainability, we gathered used oil from 2 restaurants, our school’s catering company, and 3 residential buildings across Chicago. This collected oil was then donated to the Searle Lab at Loyola University, where it was converted into biodiesel, which in turn powers the buses circulating the Loyola campus. Furthermore, the lab utilized byproducts from biofuel production to craft environmentally friendly soap which is used in campus restrooms and kitchens. Over the course of the four month initiative, we had four pickup rounds, each time donating an average 7.5 gallons of oil, fueling over 2,000 miles of driving. Interestingly, the biofuel generated by the Searle Lab is the same which has been adopted by the FIA in this year’s Formula 1 season.

We identified that energy consumption during pit display operation at competitions is a significant source of CO₂ emissions. To support our net-positive emissions goal, we implemented Aeros Energy, a software solution that targets and shuts down non-critical applications running on the pit display to reduce energy usage. Through testing, we found this approach improved power efficiency by approximately 30%.

SparkShop is a nonprofit which provides small engineering challenges to schools around Chicago. Sparkshop's mission of educating and instilling a love of STEM to young kids aligned perfectly with our social sustainability goals. In partnership with SparkShop, we created an introductory kit for STEM Racing. Recognizing the challenges we faced when starting our journey, we wanted to make the process easier and more accessible for others. Our goal was to lower the barrier to entry for new teams, particularly those from underrepresented communities, by sharing our experience.