Eco-Friendly

If you're looking for environmentally friendly products and gifts, The Colby Bookstore offers a variety of practical, functional, and-more importantly-sustainable goods:

» We sell a variety of re-useable mugs and water bottles, including USA made Nalgenes.

» Recycled three and five subject spiral notebooks

» Recycled filler paper

» Earth-Friendly Burt's Bees products

» LED bulbs, which last longer and use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

» Recycled Paper Greetings cards have been printed on recycled paper since 1971. Learn more at their website.

» Whiteboards and Expo products

» We sell re-usable tote bags.

» Our Blue Book exams books are actually Green Books. They are made with recycled paper.

» Whenever possible, we purchase books published by Penguin Random House, a company that constantly seeks to reduce energy use and implement sustainable practices.

» Much of the Bookstore marketing is done electronically.

» When students order books online through our website, we only offer in-store pickup to reduce on shipping costs and materials.

» Our Spirit Recycled Soda Bottle Colby College Lanyard is made of 100% post consumer recycled material.

» We sell a variety of eco-friendly cleaning supplies.

» Several of our Under Armour items are made from recycled bottles that are broken down and woven into yarn. Learn more about this fascinating process here.

» We allows customers to pay by credit card, which helps create a "paperless office." Many of our invoices are done electronically, which cuts down on paper use.

» We source locally as much as possible.

» Our Jillson & Roberts gift wrapping supplies include recycled wrapping and tissue paper and raffia that is sustainably harvested from trees which are unharmed.

» We carry many eco-friendly school supplies, including our:

• Colby Environotes Colby Seal Sustainable Comp Book
• Colby Sustainable Tree 2-Pocket Portfolio Folder
• Colby Sustainable Earth Globe 3 Subject Spiral Notebook
• Colby Sustainable Tree 1 Subject Spiral Notebook

» The only index cards we sell are recycled, with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste.

» We sell a variety of recycled and sustainable non-Colby imprinted school supplies, from scissors to folders to pens and pencils.

» We reuse our Bookstore gift cards instead of throwing them away after one use.

» Our cap and gowns are made of UltraGreen fabric, which is made from recycled bottles. The gowns are also cleaned and reused from year to year.

More earth-friendly facts about the Bookstore:

» The Bookstore is LEED certified at the Silver level by U.S. Green Building Council. Some of the factors in LEED Silver certification are:

• Optimal energy performance from a high-efficiency building envelope, windows, and heating and cooling system
• Innovation in design of various green aspects of the building;
• Reuse or recycling of approximately 88.5 percent of on-site generated construction waste and use of locally available construction materials with high recycled content;
• A commitment to purchase renewable power to offset 100 percent of the annual electric energy use for at least two years;
• Low-emitting interior finishes (paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, carpets) for air quality;
• Use of vegetable oil rather than petroleum-based hydraulic oil in the elevator;
• Use of native, drought-tolerant plants in greenscaping;
• Use of Green Seal cleaning agents; and
• High-efficiency motors for pumps and fans.

» Re-uses other packing materials and boxes internally

» Bookstore lower level and offices are lit with LED bulbs

» Recycle paper, cardboard, printer cartridges, plastics, and metal.

» Uses wood and metal hangers instead of disposable plastic ones

» Colby rescue sale

» Paper in our printers is 100% recycled, with no chlorine used in the production process

» Work with other departments to combine mailings.