While shopping at the University Store this year, you may have noticed a new staple near the check-out line: Duke blue, reusable shopping bags. That is, if you were lucky enough to catch them while they were in stock.
Darcy Ewalt has been working at Duke for 11.5 years. She is a part of the management teams for the University Store, the Duke Team Store, and the Lobby Shop, and handles merchandise concessions and logo buying for all clothing and gifts. Within each of her roles, she is committed to offering environmentally-friendly choices for customers, as well as implementing waste-reduction strategies. Introducing reusable shopping bags was one of her newest upgrades to the University Store, and within less than a year, the effects were tangible; “I don’t have to buy as much plastic,” she says with a smile. Because customers have been opting for reusable bags in lieu of the plastic bags otherwise offered by the store, which themselves are recyclable, and made of 25% recycled materials, Darcy has been able to cut back on her orders of plastic bags.
Every new product that Darcy brings to the Duke Stores, including the reusable shopping bags, is backed by extensive research and analysis regarding not only the product’s cost, but also its sustainability impact. For instance, years ago, Darcy spent one of her summers compiling a report on the advantages and disadvantages of compostable bags compared to plastic ones, exploring which product would be both quality and cost-effective, while also being sustainable. The winner? The recyclable plastic bags made with recyclable materials that are used in-store to this day.
Aside from shopping bags, Darcy also carefully selects which brands to sell in the store, often choosing ones that offer sustainably-made products. “If we have people that will make products out of recycled fabric, I am definitely going to buy that. That’s why I bought the sweater lines I did. I’m really excited about it. You wouldn’t know the difference, but they’re made 100% of recycled fabric. 100%.” I was impressed–100% recycled fabric is a rare threshold to achieve.
Although using recycled materials significantly reduces a product’s environmental impact, that benefit often comes with a higher price tag. Due to the added costs of sorting, processing, and more complex manufacturing, sustainable products tend to be more expensive than their less environmentally-friendly counterparts. This, in turn, influences what Darcy can realistically introduce into the store. “We have to weigh in: what will the Duke customer pay?”
She points to a recently-introduced line of sustainably-made school supplies from the brand, Onyx, for instance. Their products are made of materials including stone, sugar cane, bamboo, avoiding plastic wherever possible. Yet, with a customer base largely made up of students, the higher prices present a challenge. “It doesn’t sell as fast as the other stuff,” she explains.
To overcome the higher-cost hurdle, Darcy emphasizes that marketing the products’ sustainable attributes is essential. “We always ask for labels from vendors to help encourage customers to buy it. If I get a product that I want to add, the first thing to know is, does it say something to our customer on what it is and why?” This highlights the importance of making environmentally responsible choices not only accessible, but also understandable.
In addition to stocking eco-friendly products, the team at Duke Stores also diligently works to minimize waste. When they receive a product they can’t sell, usually due to a defect in its production, and are unable to return the product to the merchant, they ensure the product is repurposed before being sent to the landfill. For most of the damaged products, the team at Duke Stores partners with Green Zone Recycling, the largest textile recycler in the southeast U.S. market. Green Zone Recycling picks up the damaged merchandise from the Duke Stores’ distribution center and turns the merchandise into textiles, which is then transformed into new garments. Most recently, for instance, three pallets of out-of-date lab coats sold by the Medical Center Store were sent to Green Zone for recycling. “It’s a good way to know that the fabrics are getting reused,” Darcy comments. For less damaged products, Duke Stores is often able to donate merchandise to local thrift stores and charity organizations, such as Durham Rescue Mission, where items can be sold at discounted prices. Beyond textile waste, the team at Duke Stores also reduces the amount of packaging waste sent straight to the landfill. For instance, they collect the plastic bags that encase Nike merchandise and recycle them through the company, NexTrex, which turns the plastic films into benches. Other partnerships include returning hangers and cardboard boxes back to vendors.
The intentionality with which Darcy approaches waste management within Duke Stores is something she carries with her wherever she goes. From sorting between trash and recycling at her house, to returning every empty aluminum can and plastic bottle to the recycling machine in the Bryan Center that Duke Stores, in partnership with the local Coca-Cola distributor, helped install this year, Darcy is committed to keeping as much waste as possible out of landfills—a key part of her role as an environmental steward. “Everything we do affects our environment, our weather, our living conditions, and the future for our children and our grandkids,” she notes. She also emphasizes the importance of proper end-of-life disposal. “I might buy these recyclable bags, but if I don’t recycle them properly, they’ll just end up in the landfill.” This underscores a critical point: buying recyclable items isn’t enough—following-through is essential for environmental benefits to be realized. Ultimately, Darcy’s thoughtful approach to waste reflects a larger truth: mindfulness is the essential element to cultivating a sustainable life.
~written by Anna Brown, Duke SAS intern