Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

It seems like everywhere you look at San Diego State, things are beginning to look a little greener.

From the SDSU Bookstore to Associated Students and campus clubs, everyone seems to be promoting recycling and sustainability.

A.S. pushing ‘green’ agenda

Associated Students has been working on ways of running its operations in more sustainable and energy-efficient ways as well as encouraging students to be more environmentally conscious through events such as Sustainability Day.

A.S. Vice President of Finance Justin Motika, who is leading the “Green Love” campaign, has been working with every business under A.S.’s leadership, including the Aztec Recreation Center, Cox Arena, the Children’s Center and others, to improve overall sustainability. He’s also working with the SDSU Bookstore and enviro-centric student organizations.

‘Save a tree, buy used books’

Students may have noticed the bookstore’s new, environmentally geared advertising campaign. To encourage students to buy used textbooks, the bookstore has taken a different approach with the slogan “Save a tree, buy used books” displayed on T-shirts and signs on trees.

Rocky Glines, marketing director for the bookstore, said the idea for the campaign came out of talks about sustainability with Motika.

“The bookstore thought that this would be the perfect time for our spring campaign to really start bringing that (environmentally conscious) message across,” Glines said.

He said buying used books is one of the best things students can do.

“(It) keeps us from having to order new textbooks,” Glines said, “which then keeps the publisher from having to create new textbooks, so thereby we’re saving trees.

“It’s also keeping the cost down for students because used books are always going to be cheaper than new books.”

Other earth-friendly options at the bookstore include digital and rental textbooks, director of course materials Todd Summer said.

Books aside, there are recycled and organic class materials and clothing available at the bookstore including computer paper, spiral notebooks, pens, pencils and organic T-shirts. Summer said there are clipboards made out of recycled motherboards and rulers made out of recycled yellow pages.

“There really is a lot of product in the store that is environmentally friendly and we’re really proud of that,” Summer said.

New products were added this semester and Summer said the bookstore will continue moving forward and try to include more in the future.

Students taking action

SDSU students have become increasingly environmentally conscious. Not only are many student organizations making their own green efforts, such as the Success Enabled Pilots recycling program, but there are also two student organizations on campus dedicated to promoting sustainability on campus and in the community.

The Enviro-Business Society (e3) and the Green Campus Club are relatively new student groups. E3 was founded in 2005 and the Green Campus Club just started last semester.

Green Campus Club President Toni Nguyen said the group is working with A.S. to improve sustainability initiatives on campus and e3 to educate the SDSU community on what people can do to improve energy efficiency.

Sometime this semester the group will hold an energy competition in the residence halls. The group will meet at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays every other week, but currently has not confirmed a space for the meetings.

E3 has a Web site, www.sdsuebs.org, and blog, http://sdsuebs.blogspot.com/, to keep its members updated on important issues such as its proposed transportation lane on campus for bikes, skateboards and other means of alternative transportation. In April, it will host a campus event for Earth Day.