Whereas, students living in Cornell Residence Halls are responsible for properly disposing of waste in generated in their individual rooms and shared residential spaces,
Whereas, access to garbage bags is an important component of containing household waste and transferring it to designated waste disposal locations,
Whereas, students may not always have convenient access to garbage bags within their own residence halls, requiring residents to purchase garbage bags and incur additional expenses for routine waste disposal,
Whereas, limited access to garbage bags can lead to uncleanly living conditions and an accumulation of waste in shared spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, lounges, etc,
Whereas, providing garbage bags at accessible locations within residence halls could reduce barriers to proper garbage disposal and encourage residents to maintain clean individual and shared spaces,
Whereas, residence halls already contain common areas and other centralized locations through which residential supplies and services can be made available to students,
Whereas, any implementation of this proposal should remain consistent with Cornell University's waste-management and sustainability practices, including appropriate guidance regarding landfill waste, recycling, and composting,
Be it therefore resolved, that the Student Assembly recommends that Cornell University’s Building Care Department, in consultation with Cornell University Housing and Residential Life, establish a system through which students living in campus residence halls can conveniently obtain garbage bags for residential waste disposal,
Be it therefore resolved, the garbage bags be made available at one or more clearly accessible locations within each campus residence hall such as common spaces, service area, designated supply stations, or other locations deemed appropriate by Housing and Residential Life,
Be it further resolved, that the University consider implementing a distribution system that provides students with reasonable access to garbage bags while minimizing unnecessary use and waste,
Be it further resolved, that information regarding the availability and appropriate use of garbage bags be communicated to Housing and Residential Life administration, Residence Hall Directors, Residential Advisors, and residential students at the beginning of the academic year and through relevant residential resources,
Be it finally resolved, that the Student Assembly communicate this recommendation to the appropriate University administrators and request a response regarding feasibility, potential cost, and implementation of providing accessible garbage bags in all campus residence halls.
Respectfully Submitted,
Tyler Japal
Representative-At-Large, Student Assembly
Tin Cho Aye ’28
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Representative, Student Assembly
