Aztec Shops' 'Green' Effort

From the bookstore to Dining Services, Aztec Shops is helping support a greener campus.

In partnership with Associated Students and Physical Plant, Aztec Shops has contributed significantly in reducing energy consumption, promoting recycling and reducing waste at San Diego State. The "Green Power" committee, an eco-friendly focused taskforce, drives the green effort for Aztec Shops. 

SDSU Bookstore's efforts

While the bookstore's efforts in providing alternatives to new textbooks have helped students price-wise, it's also helped the environment. By making available as many used textbooks as possible, renting course books, selling digital books and storing custom publishing course readers electronically, the bookstore has helped reduce the campus' carbon footprint.

Additionally, the SDSU Bookstore also sells environmentally friendly general merchandise, including:

• Recycled paper products
• School supplies
• Organic cotton clothing
• "Green Love" tote bags made of 100-percent recycled bottles

Dining Services waste reduction

Aztec Shops Dining Services has made great strides in becoming more eco-friendly by focusing on recycling and reducing post-consumer waste.

For example, using a compost system to recycle waste at the Dining Room at Cuicacalli has diverted more than 60 tons of waste from local landfills in the last two years. This compost is then used in landscaping projects around campus.

In partnership with Physical Plant, Dining Services also recycles cooking oil, which is turned into bio-fuel for campus vehicles. Dining Services has also placed highly visible recycling containers in and around all of the dining facilities on campus, encouraging students, faculty and staff to recycle paper and beverage containers.

Other facilities

But, Aztec Shops' sustainability efforts go further than Dining Services and the bookstore.

All Aztec Shops facilities use 100 percent post-consumer recycled copy paper and EPA-certified post-consumer recycled bathroom tissue and paper towels. Additionally, Aztec Shops installed room-occupancy sensors, replaced light bulbs with fluorescent lights where possible, installed lighting control systems, programmable thermostats and variable speed drives to control air conditioning equipment to help contribute to energy savings in its facilities.

About Aztec Shops

Aztec Shops LTD, founded in 1932, is a not-for-profit corporation that functions primarily as an auxiliary of San Diego State University.

The corporation provides a diverse portfolio of commercial services including operation of the SDSU Bookstore and SDSU Dining Services on campus. Aztec Shops also operates selected other enterprises at San Diego State University and in San Diego.

SDSUniverse green issue

This article is part of the SDSUniverse "green" special issue.