Professor Veena Sahajwalla

Economies of purpose, sustainability, manufacturing, interconnectivity within communities, scalability

Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer, and inventor revolutionising recycling science.

Professor Veena is renowned for pioneering the high temperature transformation of waste in the production of a new generation of ‘green materials’ at the UNSW Sustainable 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, Professor Veena Sahajwalla launched the world's first e-waste MICROfactorieTM and in 2019 she launched her plastics and Green Ceramics MICROfactoriesTM, a recycling technology breakthrough. Veena is the director of the ARC Industrial 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.

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 named the 2022 NSW Australian of the Year.

Veena was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2025, for her distinguished service to science as an engineer and inventor, to sustainable materials research and technology and waste management.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla Book as a speaker/entertainer for your next event

Key Points for Professor Veena Sahajwalla

Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO featured on The Australian Story.
Veena was appointed hub leader of the national NESP Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub.
She was awarded 2022 NSW Australian of the Year.
Professor Sahajwalla was appointed 2021 Australia Day Ambassador in Coolamon.
In 2020, Veena won and was made Director of two new research and industrial transformation Hubs: the ARC Micro-recycling Hub, and the NESP Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub. In 2019, she was honoured by Engineers Australia as a Centenary Hero for her work. She was awarded the Business Higher Education Round Table (BHERT) Award for Outstanding Collaboration in Research & Development for 2019. In 2018 she was elected as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2016, Veena was named one of Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers and in 2015, Professor Veena named Australia’s 100 Most Influential Engineers, both by Engineers Australia. Veena was awarded an Australian Research Council Australian Laureate Fellowship 2014. In 2013, she received the ‘Howe Memorial Lecture Award’, Pittsburgh, USA in appreciation for her lecture on ‘The Power of Steelmaking – harnessing high temperature reactions to transform waste into raw material resource.
In 2025, Veena was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to science as an engineer and inventor, to sustainable materials research and technology and waste management.

Topics for Professor Veena Sahajwalla

Leadership for our planet and people
Sustainable materials and products
Microfactories: Small solutions for big challenges
Innovation: Transformations that deliver benefits for our planet and our people

Testimonials for Professor Veena Sahajwalla

Veena was extremely engaging and passionate and the attendees loved hearing from her.
Australian Glass & Window Association (AGWA)

Dr Veena was easy to deal with, arrived on time and delivered on what we required.
Master Builders ACT

Veena Sahajwalla was engaging, down to earth and the work that she and her team are doing is inspiring!
CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty. Ltd.