Student Assembly Environmental Committee

Attendance:

Present:

Excused: Aileen, JP

Not: Maddy, Stefan

Agenda

1. SNRC Plastic Bag Fee
2. KyotoNOW! Divestment Resolution
3. Mr. Kappell finalizations

Minutes

SNRC: Plastic Bag Fee Plan of the Cornell Store

• Reusable bags available for cheap price
  • Plastic bag fee starting in March
  • Biodegradable pastic

Why is SNRC here?

• They want to make this campus wide and have a fee in Cornell dining facilities
• People already have backpacks, so this is reasonable

How much is the tax?

• $0.05 = price of bag and price of tax
• Customers would know that they have the option to take a bag and be taxed or refuse one
• We can put money in GRF
• One of the main goals is customer education

Why doesn’t Cornell store just cut down and pay for the bags themselves?

• The money is not for the cornell store- it is for the green fund of the student’s choice
• Incentives, like $0.05 off if you bring a bag, doesn’t work
• Cornell goes out of the way to nickel and dime us, and it seems like they are doing that here
  • We have to advertise that the money goes for a good cause
  • Educating cashiers is very important for this to be successful

Vote:

• 4–0−2
• passes!

KyotoNOW!

• They have started to edit the resolution
• Edits in a google doc- they will finalize these edits through their club
• We will try to get this to the assembly at the beginning of next semester
• Vote: 5–1−0
  • Passes