Sustainability at the LFCC Bookstore
In its 2008 Annual Bookstore Review, Follett, the College's bookstore vendor, announced its commitment to sustainable practices. Below are the specific items from the report that show Follett's commitment to corporate responsibility.
Energy
Follett is evaluating every organization within our corporate family in order to develop standards and best practices that will ensure a 5% annual reduction in energy consumption.
Shipping Cartons
We ship nearly 20 million textbooks annually and use a lot of shipping cartons. First, we use only cartons that have35% post-consumer recycled content. Second, we take great pains to recycle the cartons ourselves. Cartons that cannot be re-used are shredded and used in lieu of Styrofoam packing material.
Computers
Follett ensures that computers are properly disposed of and produce no hazards to the environment.
Flooring
In every bookstore we renovate, we use Nexterra™carpet backing, which is an industry-leading, high-performance PET backing made from 35% post-consumer content of recycled water and soda bottles with an additional 50% from post-consumer recycled glass.
Lighting
Follett has implemented T5 fluorescent lighting wherever applicable, which delivers up to 33% in energy savings versus the traditional lighting. Because the T5 is smaller, it requires less glass, steel and phosphor to produce.
Construction Materials
Follett uses Woodstalk™ Fiberboard, which is made from wheat straw using polyurethane resin as a binder instead of the formaldehyde typically found in similar products. The result is that formaldehyde emissions are cut by as much as 97%.
Textbook Recycling
Follett is committed to the buying and selling of used textbooks, not only as part of our business, but also to reduce the amount of forest products used to create these books. Follett annually recycles more than 15 million books. Books that have no resale value are sent to libraries and schools in developing countries through the Bridge to Asia program.
Your bookstore is also involved in these sustainability initiatives:
- Offering customers the option of reusable bags
- Providing recycled supplies