The Campus Recreation Center (CRC) of Western Carolina University has taken a step to become more sustainable.
During the fall semester of 2019, the CRC added two “green” treadmills to its inventory.
The “green” treadmills are located in the front of the CRC, to the left of the normal treadmills. Photo by Sara Stanley.
Jacqueline Lanner, recent graduate of WCU, provided the idea and worked in partnership with Brandon MacCallum, Associate Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness, and the Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) to complete the project.
“We thought the ‘green’ treadmills would be a great way to inspire students and staff on campus to think more sustainably. The treadmills are a way for people to have fun while helping the planet,” Lanner said.
SEI, which is funded by a $5 student fee, approved the grant and worked to find the best sustainable equipment on the market.
The treadmills are manufactured by SportsArt, a breakout company in the world of sustainable workout equipment.
“It’s your normal treadmill in a lot of ways, but the ‘green’ treadmills also have a sled-push setting. None of our other treadmills have this, and it can increase your resistance and work out your legs, just like you were pushing a weight-sled,” MacCallum said.
MacCallum explained that the machine is set on a permanent incline of 7% and it is part of the self-generating power feature.
The “green” treadmills functions and controls are very similar to a normal treadmill. Photo by Sara Stanley.
According to the SportsArt website, on average each treadmill can save up to $3.48 per month and send 1 kilowatt of energy per hour back into the grid. They can also reduce 0.25 metric tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere every year.
“It’s powering itself and it’s putting energy back into the grid every time you use it. It is super energy efficient and it cuts off not even a minute after you step off of it. It is a better alternative if you prefer a treadmill over a track,” Damian Gregory, Vice Chair of SEI, said.
Gregory added that SEI wants to continue to promote the treadmills and they are working with the CRC to create a “sustainable workout of the week,” a competition hosted by the CRC. The winners are given a prize and are featured on the CRC’s Instagram page.
The treadmills have been featured on the CRC’s social media platforms for several months, showing viewers how to operate the machines and the impact that someone could have by using the equipment.
“I hope people will see the positive impact of these machines, but I know that some people don’t even know that they are here. So, we are trying to continue to market them and make people more aware,” MacCallum said.
These treadmills are one of the many projects centered around creating a more environmentally-friendly campus.
See more about the treadmills in the video below.
