The Gonzaga Bulletin

Issue date: 9/12/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Laura Anderson As part of a effort to become greener, Gonzaga's bookstore has replaced plastic shopping bags with reusable cloth bags. [Click to enlarge]

Efforts to "go green" seem to be sweeping the nation. Gonzaga also appears to be keeping up with the trend and making environmentally friendly changes across campus.

Changes have subtly occurred in the first weeks of the semester, catching
students by surprise. During the first week of school when students bought their textbooks, 3,000 students got reusable canvas bags in lieu of plastic bags.

Monica Chapman, general merchandise
buyer for the bookstore, raved that at the yearly trade show she attends for bookstores around the nation "green" was the biggest thing.

"This year about 30 percent of our notebooks are green, next year we will have even more," Chapman said.

The 3,000 reusable bags that were handed out to students in the first week was a result of contributions from the affiliates of the bookstore, Russell Athletic and the Nebraska Book Co. Chapman
explained that they are now researching
how they can sell these bags throughout the year for a low price.

The bookstore collaborated with a group of students from CASSL to sell recyclable notebooks.

"A group of students gathered recycled one-sided paper and made notebooks out of them. They were very popular with students," Chapman said.

Not only are the notebooks and school supplies going green but so is the clothing.

Chapman pointed out that they sold a woman's T-shirt made of organic
cotton and recycled bottle caps. Chapman is hoping that next year the bookstore can have more clothing that is organic.

Apart from the merchandise in the bookstore, the staff has also decided to go down the "green" road. The staff now have bikes to get them across campus.

"Our warehouse is way across the campus on Sinto and so is our other Kennedy bookstore so now we can bike over there," Chapman said.

With the bookstore on board, the green
trend has also spread to other parts of the campus. Sodexo is doing their part.

Continued...

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