The Berea College Bookstore is a great place for students, faculty, and staff to pick up everything from office supplies to apparel. Recently the store manager, Susan Buckmaster, purchased sustainable office supplies for the bookstore from a company called ONYX+Green which makes its products from recycled and sustainable material. They have a variety of office supplies including pens made from milk cartons, calculators made with different recycled plastics, and pencils made from bamboo.

Susan also purchased 100% recycled t-shirts that are made by Sustainable U which is a company in Appalachia providing sustainable jobs to people in the Appalachian area. The t-shirts feature both prints about the earth as well as what it means to Appalachian. Not only do these products benefit the environment and the communities they provide jobs for, but they also are very affordable, “I thought at first the prices would be too high for the store but when I saw that they were about     the same price as normal supplies I would buy, I had to  have them here!” says Susan. Incorporating a sustainable alternative to supplies normally found at the bookstore, is a great addition to the store. Fortunately it is getting easier to find products that adhere to social justice, environmental, and economic values in line with Berea College values. It is just a matter of asking the question, Is there a product I use or buy for Berea that also supports our values?

Written by: Kristina Anderson

Edited By: Alejandro Galeana-Salinas and Joan Pauly