Environmental educator, author and entrepreneur Lottie Dalziel has been named a 2025 QUT Outstanding Young Alumnus, recognising her national leadership in sustainability and her mission to help Australians make more informed choices.
The honour was announced last night at the annual QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards held at the university’s Gardens Point campus in Brisbane.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said Ms Dalziel’s work was more than recycling or reducing waste.
“She is redefining what it means to be a changemaker and the Outstanding Young Alumnus award recognises her relentless drive to make sustainability accessible, practical and powerful to Australians,” Professor Sheil said.
Ms Dalziel graduated from QUT in 2015 with a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) and Bachelor of Media and Communication, and has since built a career dedicated to empowering Australians to live more sustainably.
She is the founder of Banish, a B-Corp certified platform that helps people reduce waste through education, innovation and community action.
Since launching in 2018, Banish has reached millions through its education-first approach, including community programs, corporate workshops and the Banish Recycling and Diversion (BRAD) Program, which has diverted more than two million pieces of plastic waste from landfill in the last 12 months.
Recognised for her impact, Ms Dalziel was named NSW Young Australian of the Year in 2023 and has been featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for her contributions to sustainability and entrepreneurship.
A former journalist, her communications background has shaped the engaging, solutions-focused approach she brings to sustainability education today.
“Honestly, when I was looking at what to do after school, I really had no idea what I wanted to do,” Ms Dalziel said.
“I was searching through all the guidebooks, trying to find a degree that pulled together my different passions. When I found a combination of nutrition and media, I thought, ‘Well, why not? I don’t have to pick and choose between two different faculties; I can just do both.’”
It was the hands-on learning environment and mentoring program at QUT that Ms Dalziel said were pivotal in shaping her early career.
“During my time at QUT, there were so many different things that I really made the most of as a student,” she said.
“One of my favourite things was the mentoring program where I connected with journalist Rae Allen, someone I still consider a mentor and friend. It allowed me to get an internship and that allowed me to really accelerate my career.”
Reflecting on the recognition, Ms Dalziel said it was a meaningful reminder of how her QUT journey shaped her path.
“It’s an achievement that I’ve always looked up to, and I’ve always aspired to the previous winners of these awards,” she said.
“I really hope that the students of today can build a stronger future from it.”
Learn more about the 2025 Outstanding Alumni Awards winners.
Information about studying nutrition and media at QUT and the mentoring program can be found online.
Media contact:
Lauren Baxter
QUT Media
media@qut.edu.au
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)
