University of Colorado
Student Union
Legislative Council
April 9, 2008 68LCB12
– Waste Reduction Events
Sponsored by: Daniel Ramos Representative-at-Large
Authored by: Daniel Ramos Representative-at-Large
Amy
Harris UCSU
Sustainability Director
A Bill to Address Waste Reduction for Student Fee Funded
Events
Bill History
The CU-Boulder campus is known
throughout the country for being a leader in sustainable environmental policy.
Though the campus has been successful in certain measures such as conserving
energy and water, encouraging sustainable transportation to and from campus,
and promoting social benefits from environmental protection, there is still
more that can be done. Supporting waste
reduction measures, such as reducing waste in the first place by using reusable
products or by using products that can be converted into compost not only save
resources such as water and petroleum, but also reduces the demand for landfill
space. Landfills are responsible for
leaching dangerous toxics into nearby streams among other hazards, and there is
also evidence that the costs of landfills disproportionately impact low income
communities and communities of color. In
the interest of resources, environmental health, and social welfare, waste
should be reduced as much as possible.
Many of our student group events
that serve any type of food are planned through UMC Catering. When these events
are planned, the default option for dishware is disposable products. Re-usable
or compostable dishware is available and lightly advertised, though there is an
added cost for both the reusable china and compostable products options. According to Food Services Director Shannon Evins, throughout the academic school year, the UMC
averages 26 events per month with an average of 126 people per event. The waste
produced from these events adds up very quickly, causing the UMC to have to
pull its trash roll-off more frequently.
The
Cultural Events Board has started to recommend waste reduction events for student
groups. This summer, all groups that are funded fully or in part by the
cultural events board shall opt for the zero waste option that UMC Catering
offers. The UMC has decided to use this
ambitious effort as something like a pilot program for their zero waste options. Throughout
the summer UMC Catering shall be able to use its experience with CEB funded
events to work out the logistics of effectively pricing and providing zero
waste options for the events that they cater. This legislation, through an earmarked
SOR request, would ensure that student groups do not bear any additional cost
for putting on zero-waste events. This bill was taken to the UMC Board on April
8, 2008 and was approved by acclamation by their board in support of this
legislation.
The earmark in SOR is set out for
two years to measure the actual additional cost of permanent waste reduction
legislation. The cost of pulling the trash roll-off from the UMC loading dock
is $300 per pull, whereas the cost for pulling the compost roll-off is only $25
per pull. If this bill is enacted, the
waste that is usually diverted to the trash roll-off shall instead be diverted
to the compost bin, or in the case of china use, shall be avoided altogether. This shall result in waste cost savings. By
providing two years to pilot this action, future councils can determine the
actual cost of reducing waste through this strategy. This may or may not be an
increase due to the reduction of trash pulls and the increase of compost pulls.
Additionally, as production technology improves, the cost of providing
compostable disposables shall decrease, as has been witnessed by UMC Catering
over the past five years. For example,
the disposable salad bowls currently in use in the Alfred Packer Grill are
compostable and are actually less expensive than their non-compostable
counterparts.
Another factor considered in this
bill is providing capital for the UMC to purchase its own compost bins as well
as covering the additional cost of compostable trash bags so they don’t have to
rely on CU Recycling staff or materials to put on a zero waste event. Because CU Recycling does not have the
capacity to support this magnitude of zero events, UMC Catering staff shall be
responsible for setting compost bins and taking the compost to the UMC’s
compost roll-off after the event. This
shall elicit savings as well because the UMC shall not have to pay for CU Recycling’s services, or the services provided by Eco-Cycle
when CU Recycling is unable to provide their services. There is limited space on
the UMC loading dock, so continued conversations shall determine the demand of
compost bins and how to accommodate those bins for the UMC. Also, the Finance
Board granted a SOR request from the Environmental Center in the purchase of a collection
truck. This shall be an integral part of the process in working together among
cost centers to establish this goal and work towards a more sustainable
university.
Bill Summary
This bill
establishes waste reduction policies for all student-fee supported UMC catered
events. The bill outlines the plan in moving towards robust waste reduction,
and shall bring the different actors together in developing a plan to carry out
this bill effectively, as well as work towards permanent legislation to reduce
waste on the CU-Boulder camps.
THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED:
Section 1: This bill mandates that all events
funded by student fees, including, but not
limited to, cost centers and student groups,
must either use (1) Re-usable china and flatware or (2) Compostable dishware.
1)
These
items include, but are not limited to, plates, silverware, and glasses.
2)
The
only exception is if an alternative product is unavailable to UMC Catering.
Section 2: In the event an event is held outside
the UMC, the default choice for dishes is
compostable flatware.
Section 3: This bill earmarks a $35,000 earmark
from SOR for additional expenses. The
additional cost of this pilot program shall not
affect student fees or student groups in the cost of their events. This SOR earmark
shall expire two years from its passage, $17,500 per year, to analyze the
increased costs if a waste reduction plan is permanently implemented.
1)
The
Waste Reduction Cost sheet shall be used by UMC Catering to determine the
increased cost to student groups for their reduced waste event. This sheet
shall be an addition to the Event Planning packets given to student groups in
helping plan their events.
2)
This
sheet shall be submitted to the Student Organization Finance Office
a.
SOFO
shall use this sheet in determining the increased cost of the event.
b.
This
increased cost shall be taken from the SOR earmark by SOFO.
3)
The
increased costs covered by the SOR earmark include, but are not limited to,:
a.
Increased
labor costs
b.
Increased
material costs
c.
Increased
costs of more frequent compost hauls
4)
Money not used in this earmark shall remain the in SOR account.
Section 4: Events held in the UMC with less than 50
people shall have a default choice of
re-usable china and flatware, though not limited
to events under 50 people.
Section 5: The UMC Event Staff is responsible to
scrape excess food from the china plates
into
compostable containers.
Section 6: This bill earmarks $300 from SOR for the
purchase of up to two compostable
bins.
1)
The
UMC shall monitor the increased need of compostable bins for the use of UMC and
student group events.
2)
Once
that demand is identified, the UMC shall report to the Finance Board to
allocate their earmark.
Section 7: UMC Catering and Events shall enforce
this action to ensure the compliance of
student groups in implementing the new standard
of this bill.
1)
The
UMC, Environmental Center, Events Planning and Catering and the UCSU
Sustainability Director shall work together in developing this process for a
smooth transition for student groups and other involved parties.
2)
These
parties shall report to the Legislative Council on the first Thursday in
December 2008.
a.
This
report shall include, but is not limited to:
i.
How
the process is affecting student groups
ii.
The
changes made in making a smooth transition to comply with this bill.
iii.
Increased
costs and the status of the earmark from SOR.
3)
Additional
reports to the Legislative Council shall occur within 4 weeks of the last day
of classes.
a.
These
reports shall serve as updates once initial plans and changes are made to
uphold student groups to the standards outlined in this bill.
Section 8: The UCSU Student Groups Director in
partnership with the SGFB Chair shall be
responsible for informing student groups and
addressing any concerns with the UCSU Sustainability Director.
Section 9: The UCSU Sustainability Director shall
be responsible for ensuring compliance
by groups with this bill and addressing any changes or
difficulties with other members of UCSU.
1)
This addition shall be made to the UCSU Sustainability Director Job Description
by the 2008-2009 Tri-Executives.
Section 10: This bill shall take effect upon passage
by the Legislative Council and upon
either obtaining the signatures of two
Tri-Executives or the elapse of six days without action by the
Tri-Executives.
Vote Count
4/10/08 Passed Acclamation
4/17/08 Passed Acclamation
________________________________ ____________________________________
Boyce Postma, Sara
Davine,
Legislative
Council President Tri-Executive
________________________________ ____________________________________
Charles
Gilford, Hadley
Brown,
Tri-Executive Tri-Executive