The Associated Students of Madison Sustainability Committee voted on two spring campaigns to address campus waste management and energy use, and elected committee leadership in a meeting Tuesday.
The waste campaign will include efforts to standardize and increase recycling and compost bins across campus, according to Sustainability Committee Chair Colin Higgins.
Higgins said the campaign stems from a lack of bins across campus, as well as a lack of knowledge about what items can be recycled or composted. Along with standardizing the bins, the committee plans to create posters outlining appropriate items for recycling.
Committee member and freshman Will Mulhern said he feels this will be an important campaign based on his experience living in residence halls where many students throw their trash and recycling bins into one bag before throwing it out.
The committee will also launch an energy campaign, which will include efforts to better educate campus about energy use, in addition to a possible energy audit of campus buildings.
Higgins said the audit would collect energy use data for campus buildings so next year’s committee can target specific areas of campus to increase energy efficiency.
Overall, Higgins said he is excited for the committee to begin attempting to accomplish its goals this semester.
Higgins said the committee will try to narrow down goals for both campaigns and identifying stakeholders.
The committee also elected freshman Will Mulhern as vice chair, freshman Michael Quesnell as secretary and Kevin Englebert as social media manager.
