Posted: March 13, 2026
Submitted by Caroline Levine

Abstract: Phasing out single-use plastics through a five-year transition, aligning campus practices with Cornell’s commitments to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community well-being.

Faculty Senator sponsors: Tara Holm, Jessica M. Rosenberg, Elliot Hart Shapiro, Anna Shechtman, Sara C Pryor, Maria Gonzalez Pendas, Beth Milles, Philip D. Nicholson, Erik Born.

Whereas, single-use plastics cause environmental damage and undermine Cornell’s commitment to sustainability—demonstrated through initiatives such as the world-renowned Atkinson Center. The toxic chemicals commonly found in plastic can take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years or more to decompose, and with less than 10% of plastic in the world actually being recycled, plastic waste continues to accumulate at an alarming rate in landfills and oceans.

Whereas, single-use plastic is actively detrimental to the health of the Cornell community. Microplastics are increasingly being found in the brain, testes, heart, stomach, lymph nodes, placenta, urine, breast milk, and semen, and are associated with adverse effects, including cancers, diabetes, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity.

Whereas, Cornell’s commitments to building “A Community of Belonging” and “Changing Lives through Public Engagement” requires attention to the broader social impacts of plastic production and waste. Plastic production and waste, particularly, threaten the health and livelihoods of low-income communities. In the United States, predominantly African American and Indigenous communities are vulnerable targets for petrochemical corporations, which intentionally dump toxic waste from plastic production. Water contamination in these communities restricts access to reliable drinking water, further contributing to illness and widening existing health disparities.

Whereas, a commitment to “Respect for the Natural Environment” and the goals of Cornell’s research demand careful consideration of the ecological impacts of plastic use. Plants exposed to microplastic particles exhibit reduced growth due to stress, changes in chemical composition, disruptions in hormone regulation, and reductions in photosynthesis through altered chlorophyll. 1,557 species ingest plastic, while 99% of marine species contain microplastics, which can block digestive tracts and pierce internal organs, causing animal mortality. Microplastics damage animal livers and cells and disrupt reproductive systems, threatening population growth;

Whereas, recycling is not a solution; the fossil fuel companies that make plastics have pushed many falsehoods about recycling, are impeding international plastics treaties, and are intending to ramp up plastic production in the coming years; in fact, no more than 9% of plastic waste is successfully recycled, and the process is expensive and often itself polluting;

Whereas, Cornell’s tap water quality is excellent, and healthier for bodies and ecosystems than plastic-bottled water; it is estimated that Cornell uses 4000 plastic water bottles every day;

Whereas, there will be some upfront costs associated with shifting away from single-use plastics, but there will also be savings: the SUNY colleges are finding that they are already saving money on waste collection; and the real cost of plastic, taking externalities like health and environmental impacts into account, is much higher than the prices we currently pay for it;

Whereas, the SUNY system has banned single-use plastics. It is shameful that Cornell, an Ivy League university that prides itself as a sustainability leader, is opting out of this policy;

Whereas, many other colleges and universities, including the University of Vermont, the University of Virginia,University of Colorado-Boulder, Syracuse University, and the University of California, have already phased out or are in the process of phasing out single-use plastics, and some units within Cornell are already doing so, including the Statler Hotel, Slope Day, and several dining facilities;

Whereas, businesses such as Dish Truck, Bevi, and Quench Buggy offer alternatives to single-use plastics, and the University of Colorado Boulder successfully renegotiated its contract with Pepsi to eliminate single-use plastics from campus beverage services;

Whereas, the student body has wanted to ban single-use plastics since 2010, including the passage of a Student Assembly plastic bottle phase-out resolution, which was never implemented;

Be it therefore resolved, Cornell University shall eliminate single-use plastics, wherever possible, according to a five-year phase-out program from the date a ban is passed;

Be it further resolved, where elimination is not practical, single-use plastic products will be replaced with BPI-certified compostable products. The university may make specific, limited exceptions for health, safety, and research where there are no existing alternatives;

Be it finally resolved, Cornell will adhere to its stated values of sustainability and equality by phasing out single-use plastics.

Appendix: Sample Five‑Year Phaseout Proposal (draft)

Executive Summary

What follows is a sample set of steps and definitions for Cornell to complete a process of phasing out the purchase, distribution and sale of Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) over five years. The phaseout plan draws from other campuses that have done this work, and considers dining, events, campus offices, retail operations and vending. It makes room for exceptions, but stipulates that these must be narrowly defined, time-limited, and approved via delegated procurement and transaction authority processes.

This procurement-ready purchasing framework draws on Cornell’s own policies to guide the transition of Cornell campuses away from the use of single-use plastics (SUPs) through engagement with all Cornell buyers and supplies. The specific rules that apply are University Policy 3.25 (Procurement of Goods and Services), the Buying Manual, University Policy 3.14 (Business Expenses), and University Policy 4.2 (Transaction Authority and Payment Approval).

Definition

For Cornell enforcement, Single-Use Plastics are those plastic products intended for a single use or short use and then disposal, including:

• Beverage bottles and caps, packaged single‑use water bottles;
• Cups, lids, straws, stirrers, and disposable beverage accessories;
• Cutlery, plates, bowls, and clamshell/takeout containers used for dining, catering, and events;
• Plastic bags and plastic film used for routine distribution or carryout (events/retail);
• Single‑use condiment packets/sachets and other disposable plastic packaging components;
• All types of “compostable” plastics which cannot currently be composted in Tompkins County.

Policy Architecture:

University Policy 3.25: Procurement of Goods and Services (Authority + Stewardship)

Policy 3.25 is applicable to all purchases of goods and services from outside vendors made on behalf of Cornell University. The Board of Trustees delegates purchasing authority to designated purchasing agents and contracting officers. All purchases must be made with prudent business judgment, based on best value, accountability, and as required by donor/sponsor regulations. This is the core policy used to direct and control purchasing activity and vendor relationships.

Under 3.25, Cornell may impose a University-wide procurement standard that prohibits classes of products, names approved substitutes that comply with applicable purchasing restrictions, and requires compliance with the Buying Manual procedures..

The Buying Manual (Supplement to 3.25): Implementing the Phaseout

The Buying Manual details procedures and practices required to carry out the purposes of Policy 3.25. These are the leverage points for the shift away from SUPs.

• Preferred Supplier Requirement: Wherever a preferred supplier agreement is in place, items must be purchased from the preferred supplier regardless of dollar amount or purchasing method. Cornell may stipulate the adoption of SUP-free alternatives in part by using preferred supplier agreements in connection with SUP-free alternatives and ending SUP suppliers for covered commodities.

• Vendor selection and order creation requirements (Buying Manual section 102): here the University may determine whether a material or service is covered under a preferred/contract supplier agreement. SUP-free requirements need to be written into all applicable purchase contracts and renewals for all catering, retail, vending and events vendors.

• E‑procurement method requirements (e‑SHOP): e‑SHOP must be used for all suppliers on this platform; Cornell can introduce catalog controls, such as removing SUP items and showing preferred alternatives. The university could also identify an appropriate business service center or group of approvers which would flag exceptions, along with the required justification and desired sunset date.

• The Procurement Card (Buying Manual, sections 300 and 302): Cardholders are expected to use the card for approved business related items only, as outlined in Policy 3.14, and must not purchase restricted/prohibited goods and services. Cornell can prohibit cardholders from purchasing SUP commodities with the Procurement card. This process could also include an exception form requiring business justification, why alternatives are infeasible, and exception categories. Exceptions, units and suppliers are to be documented and this documentation must be presented in a trending format to ensure that the number of exceptions decreases every year. All data from audits and market reports for supply chains must be aggregated, analyzed and presented in periodic reports.

• Competitive bidding / sourcing thresholds and authorization for alternative methods. Procurement can direct the market and vendors to the use of compliant packaging and serviceware.

University Policy 3.14: Business Expenses (Allowability + Documentation)

This policy covers expenses that are payable or reimbursable using Cornell funds. Current policy holds that: 1.The expense is an ordinary, reasonable, and necessary business expense reasonably related to a legitimate purpose of Cornell; and 2.The university processing form, documentation, and any required university approval are submitted to support the expense. We do not recommend 3.14 forbidding SUPS but rather the gateway to allowing replacements (reusables, fiber serviceware, compliant packaging) and the documentation/discipline to ensure that the no-SUP policy is implemented in a consistent manner.

University Policy 4.2: Transaction Authority and Payment Approval

This policy will provide the governing authority for ensuring that only authorized purchasing agents enter into contracts and for embedding SUP-free purchasing terms and conditions into current and future contracts.Policy 4.2 stipulates that the authorization given to an individual to enter into agreements with external sources are binding upon the University. This Policy applies to those individuals authorized to sign Contracts to which Cornell University is a party. The removal of SUPs from premises will involve controls on individual contracts (e.g. with catering companies, retailers, operators of vending machines and with suppliers).

Sample Five Year Phaseout Plan

Year 1

• Adopt Cornell SUP definition and publish a restricted commodity taxonomy.
• Negotiate preferred supplier agreements for SUP‑free alternatives; publish ‘preferred alternatives’ lists.
• Assign managers in sectors such as dining and registered events; initiate work in the e‑SHOP for the creation of a catalogue of non-SUP products.
• Publish 3.14 documentation templates to standardize approvals for alternatives.

Year 2

• In the eSHOP, block the first SUP product categories, and block any overrides that customers may attempt. Provide exception routing for override requests.
• Prohibit Pcard purchases of the first round of SUP categories (with time‑limited exceptions).
• Change registered events policy to require SUP‑free serviceware for Cornell‑funded events; exceptions must sunset.
• Update contract templates updated for catering/event suppliers to prohibit SUP items.

Year 3

• Extend SUP restrictions to departmental purchasing and unit operations.
• Renew contract plans with vendors to enforce packaging standards
• Tighten the governance of exceptions. The mitigation plan should be required, with quarterly publishing regarding annual reduction targets.

Year 4

• Apply SUP‑free restrictions broadly in retail/food, vending, concessions, conference/event suppliers.
• Ensure reusables infrastructure and logistics to replace remaining disposables.
• Developing plans to address ‘hidden SUPs’ (such as ancillary packaging materials) as part of supplier standards where Cornell is the procurement point.

Year 5

• Remove and block all SUPs in purchasing channels.
• Require all vendor contracts to be SUP‑free compliant; conduct routine audits.
• Maintain the annual governance cycle: update alternatives lists, remove the remaining exceptions and add the compliance metrics to the reports.