Spring Break
CSU Bookstore eliminates plastic bags, waste
Bring Your Own Bag campaign helps bookstore's goal of becoming green
Justyna Tomtas
Issue date: 1/22/09 Section: News
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The Bring Your Own Bag campaign encourages students to use their own bags from home or buy the reusable CSU bags for $1.
"The goal is not to get students to buy these bags," said John Parry, director of the CSU Bookstore. "The real goal is to decrease the plastic bag order and have students bring their own bags instead. The green bags are an alternative."
This year the bookstore has decreased its plastic bag order by 50,000 bags.
According to Parry, the transition has been well received by the students with no major complications. But despite advertisements on the CSU Web site, the bookstore's biggest obstacle has been in marketing the idea.
Monica Kingsley, a student employee at the bookstore, has also seen no major problems with the transition, but does not completely agree with the changes.
"Honestly if it were up to me, we'd have the option up to the customers," said Kingsley.
Sophomore criminology major Nicole Harnke said he thinks the bookstore is heading in the right direction.
"I don't mind paying a dollar for a bag. I think it will come in handy and it helps our efforts in becoming green," said Harnke.
Last fall, students who reserved textbooks were given free bags in order to save boxes for the upcoming semester.
Reusing boxes from textbook reservations and lowering their plastic bag order enabled the bookstore to buy reusable bags without a substantial increase in their spending.
Parry said the initial cost to begin the transition was "pretty much a wash."
Because of its efforts to become environmentally sustainable, the bookstore plans to continually reuse boxes and further the switch from plastic bags to reusable ones.
"The goal is to decrease the plastic bag order even further next year," Parry said.
Staff writer Justyna Tomtas can be reached at news@collegian.com.
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