Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO
Pioneering Materials Scientist, Inventor of Green Steel & Global Leader in Recycling Innovation
A globally recognised materials scientist and inventor of “green steel”, revolutionising how waste is transformed into high-value products. Founder of UNSW’s SMaRT Centre and pioneer of MICROfactories™, Professor Veena Sahajwalla is leading the future of recycling innovation and circular economy design.
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Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer and inventor who is transforming the future of recycling and sustainable manufacturing.
As Founding Director of the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, Professor Veena has pioneered groundbreaking technologies that convert complex waste into high-value “green materials”. Her work challenges traditional recycling models, demonstrating how waste can be re-engineered into innovative products that deliver environmental and economic benefits.
She is best known as the inventor of polymer injection technology — widely referred to as “green steel” — an eco-friendly process that uses recycled tyres in steel production. This world-first breakthrough has redefined how waste rubber can replace traditional raw materials in manufacturing, significantly reducing landfill and emissions.
Building on this success, Professor Veena launched the world’s first e-waste MICROfactorie™ in 2018, followed by plastics and Green Ceramics MICROfactories™ in 2019. These pioneering microrecycling technologies enable waste materials to be transformed locally into new, value-added products — offering scalable, decentralised solutions to global waste challenges.
She is Director of the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Microrecycling, a national centre collaborating closely with industry to ensure cutting-edge recycling science is translated into practical, real-world outcomes. She also serves as Hub Leader of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub, driving research that supports sustainable resource recovery and community resilience.
In 2022, Professor Veena was named NSW Australian of the Year and featured on the ABC’s Australian Story, highlighting her visionary leadership and impact. In 2025, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to science as an engineer and inventor, and for her contributions to sustainable materials research, technology and waste management.
A compelling and forward-thinking keynote speaker, Professor Veena shares powerful insights on innovation, circular economy design, industry transformation and the future of sustainable manufacturing. Her work demonstrates that science, creativity and collaboration can fundamentally reshape how the world views waste.
