Associated Student Government Senate passed a resolution Wednesday that prohibits polystyrene products from ASG events and asks the University to ban styrofoam products across campus.

Senate added an amendment exempting student theater groups from the resolution, but voted against an amendment that would have removed a clause about Greek organizations from the resolution.

Weinberg sophomore Lars Benson, who authored the resolution, spoke out against polystyrene products.

“(Polystyrene) is a recognized carcinogen,” he said. “We don’t want students to be drinking from cups that could potentially give them cancer.”

Although the resolution passed nearly unanimously, many senators expressed their concern about the lack of effect ASG resolutions have on the Northwestern community.

Benson and other senators discussed the possibility of introducing legislation that would make it harder for student groups and ASG-funded events to use styrofoam at events. Weinberg senior Lauren Thomas said ASG should always pass legislation when it has the opportunity to do so, even though it has limited jurisdiction.

“As ASG, we don’t have binding power over what the administration does or over what the U.S. government does or anything like that,” Thomas said. “I do think it’s really important to put your money where your mouth is, and once you pass a resolution you have to be committed to doing what you said you were going to do.”

ASG President Christina Cilento said she was in favor of passing legislation on the issue but said passing just the resolution would change very little. The SESP senior said it’s important for ASG to back up resolutions with legislation that makes concrete changes.

“Because this resolution specifically talked about ASG’s funding structure, I think we need to back that up (with) something,” Cilento said. “It makes sense, and it’s logical that there would be legislation presented that gets more specific and more technical about changes to our funding structure.”

For the second week in a row, senators clashed over whether Greek organizations should be explicitly mentioned in the resolution. Parliamentarian and Medill junior Shelby Reitman said she had worked to ban styrofoam in her sorority house and had reached out to a fraternity asking them to do the same.

Thomas said there was confusion over what kind of jurisdiction ASG has.

“Contrary to what people seem to think in the Senate room, we don’t have any control over what the Greek system does,” she said. “The only thing that was in there that we do have control over is the ASG funding system.”

Senate also elected members to the election commission on Wednesday, an action that had been pushed back from last week’s meeting. It also heard a presentation about the new University Commons and voted in favor of a Wild Ideas funding proposal as well.

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