In 2024, Ryleigh Heathcote-Hacker, a Cromwell College alumna pursuing her Honours in Environmental Management at UQ, conducted a groundbreaking Food Waste Survey as part of her Global Change class. This initiative aimed to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: food waste. Below is an article she wrote for Cromwell’s annual publication.
This semester has been an unforgettable journey in my Honours year of Environmental Management at UQ, not only because of all the assignments, but because of the impact I’ve been able to make right here at Cromwell. One of my classes, Global Change, centered around understanding and addressing the physical and human dimensions of problems we face as a society. It was a really great course that explored everything from climate change to human populations. For the semester, we each had to choose a “global change” topic to explore through multiple assignments. I was immediately drawn to one issue: food waste.
Growing up in a third-world country, I’ve seen the heart-breaking effects of food scarcity first hand. It’s painful to know that, globally, a third of all food produced is never eaten, especially when we live in a world where 828 million people face hunger every day. In countries like Australia, the majority of food waste occurs at the consumer level — that’s us, the people who might not think twice before throwing out a half-eaten sandwich. To me, this assignment presented an opportunity to raise awareness and create change within the Cromwell community. I wanted to educate my peers about the impacts of food waste and encourage them to think twice before throwing food away.
The first assignment was about action planning. We were asked to create a sustainable, positive impact within our local communities, and for me, that meant Cromwell. My plan was to raise awareness, so I began designing posters and surveys that I hoped would resonate with everyone. I put the posters up in our dining hall, knowing that every student would pass by them daily. Our dining hall is such a central place where everyone gathers so it felt like the perfect spot to catch people’s attention. The posters were intended to spark conversation and make food waste something students started thinking about, even if just for a moment.
The surveys also became a key part of the assignment. I asked students about their food habits and to list meals they really loved. It was so encouraging to get such positive responses, with students providing thoughtful feedback and suggestions for meals they enjoyed. I passed these suggestions on to Jonathan, our head chef, who was incredibly appreciative as his goal is to make meals the students find the most yummy. It was such a fantastic experience to see how receptive the Cromwell community was to learn more about food waste and come up with solutions.
Throughout this semester, I’ve learned so much about food waste, and I realized just how hidden this issue is. It feels so unjust that in a world with such widespread hunger, food waste is still so prevalent. Living at Cromwell has given me a sense of hope, though. The Cromwell community has been so supportive, and I had students come up to me to thank me for my efforts, saying they’d started thinking about throwing away food in a new light. Those conversations meant so much to me, knowing that I’d made a difference, even if just in a small way.
I’ve come to realise that you don’t need wealth, power, or fame to make a difference. All you need is a voice willing to speak up when you think something isn’t right. My efforts may not have changed the world, but I’d like to believe the awareness I’ve raised at Cromwell can ripple out. The Cromwell students of today are the future businesspeople, scientists, leaders, and teachers — individuals who, with this awareness, can change their own habits and influence the people around them. Global change doesn’t start on a global level; it starts right here, in our own community. It starts with small actions, with each of us making conscious decisions to build a better future. I’m so grateful to Cromwell for giving me the space to make a difference, and I hope that this message continues to resonate with my fellow Cromwellians long after I’ve left.
