The thrill of a GroupMe notification might change into a Pavlovian response following the introduction of the Hungry Hamilton initiative, the Environmental Safety, Security, and Sustainability Workplace’s (EPS&S) latest endeavor to cut back meals waste on campus.
Golf equipment, departments, and different campus organizations can publish photographs and details about leftover meals from their occasions within the Hungry Hamilton group chat inviting college students to return dig in — totally free! From burrito bowls and stir-fry noodles to matcha brownies and chocolate cake, the group connects ravenous stomachs to delectable treats.
The Hungry Hamilton initiative was proposed and pushed ahead by pupil Hamilton Sustainability Coordinators (HSCers). Caroline Meers ’28, one of many HSCers spearheading the venture, mentioned, “Shey [Sanges’26] and I began Hungry Hamilton this previous fall as a result of we observed lots of campus points relating to meals waste, with meals sitting out or getting thrown out after occasions.”
Sanges added, “I run the Harvest program on campus, so I used to be already fairly conscious of meals points and meals waste issues, however we’d struggled to get into catering with Harvest as a result of it’s extra buffet fashion. That doesn’t adhere to the general public security pointers for meals waste.”
After receiving enthusiastic suggestions from the EPS&S, Sanges and Meers dove into researching attainable options to catering waste. By way of communications with different establishments, the HSCers turned conscious of leftover sharing applications and designed a proposal to current to the School administration for what’s now Hungry Hamilton.
Sara Soika, an environmental well being and security specialist in EPS&S, credit pupil curiosity and involvement for the event of many sustainability initiatives on-campus.
“College students see issues on social media, or know a pal doing it at their faculty, or see the necessity on campus. We need to assist them facilitate getting their initiatives off the bottom,” Soika mentioned. “College students have a giant drive in initiatives. Some initiatives aren’t going to go anyplace until the scholars drive it and purchase in.”
The coed buy-in for Hungry Hamilton has been rapid and enthusiastic. The group chat already boasts 360 members and leftovers listings are frequent. Meers mentioned, “I noticed an occasion that had 12 leftover boba and inside 4 minutes, all 12 had been gone. That membership most likely feels higher now about having a number of leftovers reasonably than losing cash.”
When Sanges posted leftover snacks from considered one of her occasions, she was thrilled to listen to the optimistic reception. “Individuals got here and had been like, ‘oh my gosh, that is going to be my examine snack tonight!’ Or they had been going to reserve it for the prepare as a result of it was proper earlier than spring break, in order that they didn’t want to purchase meals on Amtrak,” she mentioned.
With an estimated 150 lbs. of meals wasted in a single month from campus occasions, Hungry Hamilton seeks to make sure scrumptious meals isn’t wasted, and hungry faculty college students get fed.
