Christ Church is facing student anger over the lack of suitable and legal sanitary bins in public facilities. The College has promised the proper bins will be installed by next term, but some within the JCR remain wary.
While many of the individual accommodation staircases have the correct bins, some public facilities like the library lack them, and according to a Christ Church student, “Students have gone out of college grounds to use appropriate facilities whilst menstruating.”
The College confirmed it has bins in place but a contract had been drawn up for increased provisions by the start of next term.
Over the last year, students have been pushing the college to purchase the bins for feminine hygiene products as required under the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991. These are required as the potential hazard of contracting diseases through blood, such as HIV, that comes with handling this waste if it isn’t in proper containers.
An anonymous member of college pointed out the college is possibly endangering not only its students but its employees as well. “Scouts are having to clean up hazardous waste which in theory could lead to the contraction of a serious blood disease.”
“Unfortunately, a cost could not immediately be negotiated with the company supplying our bins, but these have been secured for the new academic year.”
Luke Cave
Some students have also expressed concern at the perceived lack of sympathy shown by JCR president Luke Cave. He denies this claim and told Cherwell, “Since this was brought to my attention earlier this year, we have been in discussions with college to implement professional sanitary bins in all of our shared toilets – following proper hazardous waste disposal protocols. Unfortunately, a cost could not immediately be negotiated with the external company already supplying some of our bins, but these have been secured for the new academic year.”
This concession follows a series of attempts by the student body to push the college to provide the proper equipment. The JCR threatened legal action when it almost unanimously voted to condemn the college for their “grievous neglect”.
The student claims the college was asked if the bins would be installed over Easter Vacation, but was told the House Manager and Steward were busy organising several conferences, and later that budgetary issues stood in the way.
“It’s obvious Christ Church has a long way to go in providing for its students”, the anonymous Christ Church commenter said. “The clear lack of effort and provision by Christ Church proves its growing negligence in terms of its students’ needs.
