Professor Veena Sahajwalla, director of the Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT) Centre at UNSW, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2025 Australia Day Honours for her contributions to engineering, sustainable materials research, and waste management.
Sahajwalla expressed her gratitude, noting, "The feeling of leading a scientific field is profound, but this sort of recognition is next level. This just motivates me even more."
She talked about the importance of her work in developing solutions for material sustainability challenges that deliver social, environmental, and economic benefits. "What drives me and the team at the UNSW SMaRT Centre is developing solutions for real-world materials sustainability challenges."
The SMaRT Centre has pioneered microrecycling and developed technology-based solutions to reform hard-to-recycle waste streams into feedstock for remanufacturing. "Because we understand these wastes at the molecular level, we develop science and engineering techniques to sustainably recover and reform valuable materials," Sahajwalla said.
Among the centre’s key innovations is Green Steel Polymer Injection Technology, which uses waste rubber tyres as a partial replacement for coke and coal in electric arc furnace steelmaking. It has also developed modular MICROfactorie technologies that process different waste types into remanufacturing feedstock.
Sahajwalla emphasised the need for a shift in mindset regarding waste management. "Many waste products are a lot more complex than bottles or old newspapers, and so we need to go well beyond conventional recycling." She called for greater focus on what she terms "molecular circularity" — treating all materials within waste streams as a resource.
One area of focus for the centre is addressing e-waste, which contains valuable metals and plastics essential for electrification and decarbonisation but is often discarded. "MICROfactories are about creating scalable recycling solutions suitable for all locations, including regional and remote areas, to empower communities with new supply chains."
She also underscored the role of science and engineering in global sustainability efforts. "Australia is a small country, but we have clever science and engineering capability, and we can inspire others to come on the journey with us."
UNSW vice-chancellor and president Professor Attila Brungs congratulated Sahajwalla and other UNSW academics who received honours, stating "These honours are a testament to your remarkable achievements and contributions to the nation. Your dedication to advancing knowledge, equity, and innovation is inspiring."
