The Tipping Point: Australian Story
Scientist Veena Sahajwalla is a recycling superstar with some bold new ideas about how to save waste from landfill.
Watch her incredible work on the latest episode of Australian Story, airing 22nd February 2021 at 8pm AEDT on ABC TV + iview.
As Australia's collective garbage guilt builds alongside the tonnes of plastic piling up in recycling depots, Professor Sahajwalla's inventions may offer some exciting new solutions to deal with the problem.
"We're sitting at that tipping point," she says. "We can no longer send it somewhere overseas...we have to solve it, we have to do something about it."
A self- confessed ‘obsessive’ when it comes to waste, she regularly raids her home rubbish bins for inspiration.
"I think Mum had a few funny quirks that made her a little bit different to other Mums, she was definitely the rubbish cop," says daughter Rama.
Inspired walking the streets of her Mumbai neighbourhood as a child, Veena observed almost everything was reused and 'nothing was wasted.'
This attitude underpinned her career as an engineer and sowed the seeds for a variety of ground-breaking ideas, including making steel from car tyres.
Now Veena Sahajwalla is unveiling her latest invention, a ‘microfactory’ that creates building materials and tiles from the unlikely combination of old clothes and glass. And it’s catching the eye of major players.
"I remember just being blown away by the variety of things that she’d been able to create out of what would have been considered waste materials,’’ says Mirvac CEO Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, referring to a new apartment that showcases her tiles. But the pressure is on to transform her latest invention into a workable idea for business and get consumers interested.
It’s a big bold concept and could be revolutionary. But will it work outside the lab?
You can watch replays of Australian Story on ABC NEWS channel on Wednesdays at 12:30am, Saturdays at 6:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm and 9:30pm. All times are AEDT.
Watch The Tipping Point episode here.
Image credit: Dave Wheeler
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN
MWOF performs strongly in GRESB results
The Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund (MWOF) has performed strongly in the 2024 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) assessment, achieving a 5 Star rating with a score of 91.
Celebrating the Success of Our Inaugural Supplier Development Program
We’re excited to wrap up our first-ever Supplier Development Program, which we launched in partnership with Social Traders.
Mirvac unveils luxury residences at iconic Harbourside at Sydney's Darling Harbour
Mirvac has revealed a collection of unparalleled residences and penthouses, offering exclusive dress circle views of the city and an unmatched living experience in Sydney’s iconic Harbourside precinct, set to reimagine the Darling Harbour waterfront.
Mirvac restocks its residential pipeline in Queensland
Mirvac Group is pleased to announce it has finalised a project delivery agreement with Pioneer Fortune Pty Ltd (Pioneer Fortune) to develop a new masterplanned community site in Queensland. The transaction was achieved on capital-efficient terms and demonstrates Mirvac's confidence in the south-east Queensland property market.
Mirvac acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of Australia, and we offer our respect to their Elders past and present.
Artwork: ‘Reimagining Country’, created by Riki Salam (Mualgal, Kaurareg, Kuku Yalanji) of We are 27 Creative.