In conjunction with Sustainability Day, the University of North Carolina Wilmington will celebrate the grand opening of ECOteal, a sustainability and transportation retail store located in the Fisher University Union (FUU), at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008. Live music, information tables and a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo will commence the grand opening.
In order to help provide students, faculty and staff with sustainable alternatives, ECOteal will offer transportation-related items, sustainable products and repair services. ECOteal will provide items such as water-powered clocks, organic cotton and bamboo shirts, reusable totes, bikes and skateboards. To provide learning opportunities, the store will be directed primarily by students like assistant manager Jonathan Grady, who helped develop the store concept and select merchandise.
"One hundred percent of the items in the store are sustainable, recyclable or biodegradable," said Rita Gordon, UNC Wilmington director of auxiliary services.
In addition to the opening of the sustainability store, UNCW purchased its first electric truck. The teal electric truck, known as the "ECOtealmobile" will be used to deliver products to the sustainability store and healthy food alternatives to special vending machines soon to be located throughout campus.
"Only five universities in the state have an electric truck," said Sandy Ellington, UNCW One Card manager, who will also provide oversight and assistance to the students who will be managing the store. "The 'tealmobile' will reduce UNCW's carbon footprint on the environment."
As it continues on the path of becoming a greener university, UNCW is working diligently toward conserving resources by reducing energy and water consumption. Recent sustainable initiatives include installing 24-watt LED outdoor lighting fixtures around campus dining areas, selling reusable mugs made from 77 percent recyclable materials and offering sustainable printing options such as two-sided printing. An 80 percent energy savings on the outdoor lighting fixtures and a 35 percent reduction in paper usage by students in the library and computer labs through the iPrint program are results of environmentally conscious decisions-making.
On Sustainability Day, Oct. 22, UNCW students will actively promote sustainable organizations and green choices with a celebration including information tables and the opportunity to sign the university sustainability pledge outside the FUU Hawks' Nest.
Media Contact:
Joy Davis, UNCW Marketing and Communications, at 910.916.8603 or davisjc@uncw.edu
