Veena Sahajwalla

Pioneered 'green manufacturing' to transform waste into valuable materials

Veena Sahajwalla (b. 1961) is an Australian materials engineer who invented 'process intensification' techniques that convert e-waste and plastic into high-value materials. Her 2007 establishment of the world's first e-waste microfactory at UNSW Sydney demonstrated how localized recycling can reduce landfill dependency. By 2015, her Green Manufacturing system was producing steel alloys from computer circuit boards, proving commercial viability. Her 2018 'plasticahol' technology converts non-recyclables into construction materials, now deployed in 12 countries. Sahajwalla's concept of 'materials banks' won the 2020 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, highlighting how circular economy principles can address climate change. Her Sustainable Future Institute trains global engineers in her methods, with projects in India's informal recycling sector creating 15,000+ jobs. Time Magazine named her invention among 2021's Best Inventions, yet she remains focused on scaling grassroots solutions through partnerships like the African Circular Economy Alliance.