Book Store opens 'natural' center

The Book Store, already a veritable potpourri of college student products, has further diversified its inventory to include over 1000 environmentally safe products. In celebration of Earth Day, the Book Store yesterday unveiled the Natural Lifestyle Center, a permanent addition to the store which will feature such "environmentally friendly" products as natural shampoo, cold care remedies and unbleached t-shirts. The display will also be selling informational products, including books about pollution and recycling, to promote increased awareness of important environmental issues. Eco-Logica, a company dealing in natural alternative products for the past 15 years, offered the selection of products to the Book Store "to provide students with the opportunity to exercise choice in the products they buy," Eco-Logica spokesperson Michael Charney said yesterday. Charney said the products, which will cost about the same as similar traditionally-made products, protect the environment in varying ways. He said cosmetics involve no animal testing and use no animal by-products, while the shirts contain no harmful dyes or phosphates and are made only of unbleached cotton. "Everyone felt it was a good thing," Cybart said. Charney praised Book Store management for reserving more initial space for the display than any other college bookstore has since Eco-Logica began selling its products on college campuses. "Book Store management has been extremely sincere in trying to respond to the voices on campus," he said. "The University of Pennsylvania has taken a leadership role in offering students the opportunity to make choices." Cybart said yesterday afternoon that initial sales in the Natural Lifestyle Center "have gone pretty well so far."

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