Returning to Australia after visiting her mother in Mumbai in mid-January, Professor Veena Sahajwalla was greeted with heartwarming news: she had been named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2025 Australia Day Honours.
“It’s incredibly humbling,” Sahajwalla tells The Indian Sun over Zoom Sydney. “This recognition really came as a surprise.”
The prestigious award recognises her groundbreaking contributions to tackling waste challenges and advancing Australia’s transition to a circular economy.
As a key leader at the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub, Sahajwalla has been at the forefront of innovative research addressing some of Australia’s most pressing environmental issues. Her work includes advancing circular economy practices, tackling microplastic pollution, and fostering cross-sector collaborations to drive systemic change.
At the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where she serves as Founding Director of the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre, Sahajwalla has pioneered revolutionary technologies such as Green Steel™ and MICROfactories.
These innovations transform waste into valuable resources, aligning with her mission to create a more sustainable future.
Looking ahead, Professor Sahajwalla is focused on one of the world’s most urgent challenges: battery waste. “Batteries are a great example of something that’s essential but also a growing concern,” she explains. “They contain critical metals that are limited resources. We can’t take these materials for granted—they need to be recovered, remanufactured, and put back into the supply chain.”
She emphasises the importance of proactive solutions. “Why think of these materials as waste when they’re so valuable? A lot of energy went into creating them in the first place. We need to start thinking about how to handle them safely and efficiently now, rather than waiting until we’re overwhelmed by the problem.”
Sahajwalla’s vision includes modular systems for battery collection and recycling, partnering with local councils and organisations to ensure safe handling and storage. “Collection is the first step in the circular economy,” she said. “Once we have systems in place, we can move toward remanufacturing these critical metals and putting them back into production.”
Sahajwalla moved to Australia in the 1990s and has since become a leading voice in sustainability. In 2022, she was named NSW Australian of the Year, adding to her long list of accolades.
Reflecting on her journey as a multicultural woman in science, she shares, “Challenges are a part of life and career. When you’re doing something new and innovative, you’re not just relying on your own ideas—you’re convincing collaborators, securing funding, and proving your work in the lab. It’s not always a smooth journey, but it’s worth it.”
She talks about the importance of resilience and support. “Traditional technologies that have been around for a long time have had decades to mature. Challenges will always be there, but the key is to find your family and friends, surround yourself with positivity, and keep pushing forward—because there will always be naysayers.”
Sahajwalla has been affectionately called Australia’s “Waste Queen”—a title she loves. “I love it,” she says with a laugh.
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