Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an internationally recognized materials scientist, engineer, and inventor revolutionizing recycling science. She is renowned for pioneering the high temperature transformation of waste in the production of a new generation of green materials’ at the UNSWSustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, where she is Founding Director. Professor Veena is the inventor of polymer injection technology, known as green steel, an eco-friendly process for using recycled tyres in steel production. In 2018, Veena launched the worlds first e-waste MICROfactorieTMand in 2019 she launched her plastics and Green CeramicsMICROfactoriesTM, a recycling technology breakthrough. Professor Veena is the director of the ARCIndustrial Transformation Research Hub for ‘microrecycling’, a leading national research centre that works in collaboration with industry to ensure new recycling science is translated into real world environmental and economic benefits. Professor Veena has also been appointed hub leader of the national NESP Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub. In 2021, Professor Veena featured in the ABC’s Australian Story and she was named the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year in recognition of her work. Professor Veena was named the 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winnerfortheCelestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science and was also awarded the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) Clunies Ross Innovation Award.
