ASM Approves Resolution to Break Free from Single-Use Plastics at UW-Madison
Posted: 2022-02-24 12:57:54 Expiration: 2032-03-03 22:57:54
Associated Students of Madison
333 East Campus Mall, 4301 Student Activity Center, Madison, WI
Website: asm.wisc.edu Phone: 608/265-4ASM
E-mail: press@asm.wisc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 February 2022
CONTACT:
Tyler Katzenberger, Press Office Director
press@asm.wisc.edu | 715-465-0289
ASM Approves Resolution to Break Free from Single-Use Plastics at UW-Madison
MADISON, WI — On Wednesday, the ASM Student Council unanimously passed a “Break Free From Plastics” resolution calling on UW-Madison to phase out unnecessary and wasteful single-use plastics.
The resolution recommends UW-Madison establish procurement policies that consider full product life cycle costs, support sustainable waste systems, and operate within the environmental limits of the planet. Its ultimate goal is to eliminate the use of non-essential, non-compostable, single-use disposable plastics on campus.
“This resolution will bring student advocacy groups, student government, and the Office of Sustainability under the umbrella of shared governance for collaborative reduction of single-use plastics,” said ASM Sustainability Chair and resolution sponsor Ashley Cheung. “I’m confident this collaboration will introduce more sustainable ways of living and being here at UW.”
Campus sustainability group Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG) also contributed to the resolution. WISPIRG President and co-sponsor Riley Gough said he was “excited about this resolution and the opportunities it provides,” seeing it as “a stepping stone to broader, more impactful commitments to sustainable practices from University administration.”
ASM also introduced two bylaw changes on Wednesday. The first, proposed by Student Judiciary Chief Justice Ellen Stojak, would modernize Student Judiciary bylaws to reflect current organizational practices and include gender-neutral language. The second, proposed by Legislative Affairs Chair MGR Govindarajan, would reorder ASM internal elections and appointments to shorten meeting times at the beginning of new sessions. Student Council will vote on both bylaw edits at its next meeting.
Finally, on Wednesday, ASM appointed Allie Chang to fill an Associate Justice seat on the Student Judiciary; Dominic Zappia, Steven Shi, and Tyler Katzenberger to fill the three College of Letters & Science Student Council seats, and Ashley Cheung to fill the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Student Council seat.
The next Student Council meeting will be on Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room on the 4th Floor of the Student Activity Center at 333 East Campus Mall.
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-- Associated Students of Madison: Tyler Katzenberger