West Virginia University alumnus Tom Petrini was at a conference on sustainability when he realized that the 3,000 reusable bottles handed out to participants weren’t being used.
There wasn’t a place to wash out and fill the new bottles, and that particular sustainable initiative didn’t really work out.
Now Petrini runs his own business, Evive Station, with the help of other WVU alums, and they are now piloting their idea at WVU.
Evive Station is the world’s first individual bottle cleaning and filling kiosk, with patent pending. The company’s engineers and designers have pioneered an innovative, ergonomic solution for providing reusable bottle cleaning and chilled and filtered water. The services, including a double-walled stainless steel reusable bottle, are free, made possible through sponsors who offer targeted messages and advertisements.
Petrini and Blake Barnes, also a WVU alumnus, say that the system creates far less waste than single use water bottles, encourages resource conservation among students and makes for a more convenient experience as the machine cleans the insulated bottles and refills them with fresh, cold water.
Approximately 4,300 students have signed up to use Evive Station when it debuts Monday (April 2). Two stations will be in the Mountainlair and two will be in the Student Recreation Center.
Petrini, CEO of the company, graduated from WVU in 2005 with a degree in finance. Barnes and Steve Jacobs, the company’s software engineer, both graduated from WVU in 2009 with bachelor’s degrees in communications studies for Barnes and management information systems for Jacobs.
Petrini said his business classes helped to form the basis for his inevitable entry into the world of business as an entrepreneur. He went on to graduate with dual master’s degrees from Duquesne University, taking part in the school’s pilot MBA program focused intensely on sustainability.
“I’ve always been sustainable-minded, but until I really studied it and went to conferences, I didn’t really grasp the full extent of how badly we’re hurting the environment by using single-use items,” Petrini said.
WVU was the ideal place to pilot the program, in part because of the alums’ familiarity with the campus, the professors and student life. Clement Solomon, WVU’s director of sustainability, worked with the alums to navigate the steps to develop a product catering to students interested in sustainability.
A sustainable culture had also been increasing over the years since Petrini was here as a student, though he said the campus was an early leader in sustainable initiatives with the installation of the Personal Rapid Transit system in the 1970s.
In the last few years, WVU has adopted sustainable measures that include energy- and cost-saving renovations to existing buildings, minimizing food waste in dining halls, implementing a recycling program at football games, partnering on a national clothing drive and encouraging alternative transportation.
The WVU grads say they’ve been able to get this program going with the help of the University and professors they remembered from their time here.
“As a WVU alum, I am pleased to partner with my fellow Mountaineers in such ground-breaking endeavors,” Solomon said. “Projects such as Evive provide an excellent opportunity to infuse interdisciplinary education, real-world engagement, and constructive problem-solving, a core requirement for sustainable solutions in the 21st century.
“Viewing sustainability through a lifecycle-based lens helps us to resolve complex and pressing societal problems by incorporating avoidance, reduction, recycle and reuse strategies.”
Barnes said that when he was in college, he didn’t understand the importance of resource conservation. Now, he feels rewarded to be able to share this knowledge with students.
“We’re trying to shift mindsets from single-use plastic bottles to a more sustainable lifestyle,” he said.
For more information about WVU’s sustainability program, go to http://wecan.wvu.edu. To learn more about the Evive Station, go online to http://evivestation.com
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dm/03/29/12
CONTACT: Clement Solomon, Office of Sustainability
304-293-7916, clement.solomon@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.