SGA Resolution on Menstrual Bins Passes Unanimously
Originally published in The Pointer
SGA signed legislation into effect on March 25 encouraging new practices for menstrual disposal bins in bathroom stalls across the UWSP campus.
After a growing number of concerns were raised by the student body, Ben Koenig, SGA senator, and Abigail Weber, SGA Student Life and Academic Affairs Director, authored the resolution.
The legislation was passed unanimously by the senate on March 17 and signed by President Will Scheder on March 25.
Julie Zsido, Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life, stated, “Our current procedure is that each stall has waxed bags for disposal of feminine products for students to place items in and then dispose of them in the garbage cans that are in each bathroom.”
“This resolution outlines that we would like to see menstrual disposal bins in all stalls to provide a clean and private place for our students who menstruate to dispose of these products,” Koenig said.
Koenig reported that student body outcry deemed the policy as “disgusting and degrading.”
“It provides students with a sanitary way to dispose of their products without multiple people needing to touch them. This has decreased exposure to biohazard [and] bodily fluids for our custodial staff and has increased the safety of our students and staff,” Zsido said.
The resolution disputed this reasoning and contended that current practices cause the entire garbage bin to be considered “biohazardous.”
In Zsido’s 30 years of employment at UWSP, she has never known the policy to be any different in residence halls.
Zsido cited this practice as being useful for facility services to uphold an “efficient cleaning schedule,” which in turn benefits students by preventing bathrooms from being closed for long periods of time.
The Residence Hall Association, which serves as the representative voice of all residence hall students, approves of the current menstrual disposal bin practices.
When authoring the resolution, Koenig and Weber took into consideration the implications these practices have on populations throughout the student body.
“Making sure all students are getting the privacy they deserve regarding their health is super important to us, both as students and as representatives,” Weber said.
The resolution asserted, “a lack of menstrual garbage bins can make students who are transgender or nonbinary feel unaccepted on campus.”
“There is still a huge stigma around menstruation, and it’s a sensitive topic for many people,” Weber said.