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April 10, 2025 37 mins

What if we saw rubbish as a valuable resource?

Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an inventor, engineer and leading expert in the field of recycling science. She is the founding Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMART) at the University of NSW. 

Making waste valuable, her first invention reduced carbon emissions from the steel industry, and her second is promising to empower communities to become their own manufacturers. Adding a few more ‘r’s to the reduce, reuse, recycle list – such as reform and remanufacture – she is upending existing systems to engineer solutions for a waste-free world.

Comedian Bec Charlwood is excited to be on such a classy podcast and we're thrilled to have her help host Rachel Rayner unravel our trash to reveal the treasure within.

Transcript

Links

Highlight article by Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Read more on UNSW's SMaRT Centre

More on Green Steel

More on plastic filaments from MICROfactories

More on ceramics from MICROfactories

Find out more on the circular economy at the Australian Circular Economy Hub

Check out Bec Charlwood's comedy on her YouTube channel

Credits

Producer: Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Guests: Veena Sahajwalla, Bec Charlwood

Music: Michelle Cashman

Editing: Graham Hunter


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Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer

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