Book: The Best Australian Science Writing 2025

A foreword by UNSW SMaRT Centre Director Professor Veena has been published in the just released book, The Best Australian Science Writing 2025.

Veena also delivered a speech to launch the the book, published by UNSW Press and Edited by Zoe Kean and Tegan Taylor, at an event where one of the book's authors was announced winner of the 2025 UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing

In the foreword, Veena said addressing the climate and energy challenge necessitates a multifaceted approach that leverages the power of scientific innovation, particularly where engineering, materials science and sustainability come together, such as for SMaRT's very own waste and recycling technologies. 

"Scientific research is how we will solve our big human challenges, and the stories within this publication show researchers striving to address the biggest of them all in our lifetime," she said.

"A sense of the urgency involved comes through in this anthology: from the young scientist looking out at Arctic ice sheets and considering that they may no longer form by the end of her career, to a detailed look at nuclear fusion research in China."

The publishers say:

"The best science writing doesn’t just answer questions, it cracks them open. It dissects them, probes them and solves their mysteries. It takes you on a journey of discovery. Science is a deeply human endeavour and the stories we tell about it can be powerful, life-changing forces for good. They can show us the windblown work of Antarctic researchers as they drill into floating ice shelves, examine the possibility of language in whales, educate us on how to understand data and its limitations, and describe the fervour that accompanies the opening of a corpse flower."

"This much-loved anthology – now in its fifteenth year – selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating stories from Australian writers, poets and scientists. With a foreword by materials scientist, engineer and inventor Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, The Best Australian Science Writing 2025 covers another momentous year in science."

Foreword excerpt:

Australia’s waste and resource recovery industry is being increasingly challenged by complex wastes, such as electronic or e-waste and batteries. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest waste estimate figures show the Australian economy domestically generated 539 000 tonnes of e-waste in 2019, with more than 50 per cent going to landfill. Only 17.4 per cent is said to be recycled, but much of this goes offshore, where outcomes are unknown. Traditional Australian recycling facilities are set up to separate, dismantle or shred only, not to isolate the valuable metal alloys, rare earth elements and critical metals contained in e-waste.

In my own work, I grapple with the rising tide of waste and the global inability to recycle and reform the valuable materials contained in so many waste streams, at any scale. To mitigate these impacts and safeguard the future of our planet, we must transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy where waste provides raw materials for remanufacturing. 

Materials science and engineering can play a pivotal role in this transformation, with its focus on translating scientific discoveries into practical solutions. But we have a long way to go develop the innovations required to provide more sustainable, scalable solutions.

One story in this compendium that resonated with me concerns an innovative response to the problem of ‘ghost nets’ – huge discarded fishing nets which pervade the seas and oceans, causing great harm to marine environments and creatures. The non-profit Tangaroa Blue re-uses old, unwanted GPS-enabled buoys to keep track of the nets cut loose or lost in the Gulf of Carpentaria – using trash to track trash. My own UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre also looked at the problem of these ghost nets, and found one of our technologies could be used in remote locations to reform this plastic waste either directly into new products or into raw materials for remanufacturing, creating localised circular economies. 

The need for innovation

Dealing with waste in sustainable ways requires us to challenge conventional wisdom and explore unconventional approaches. This has been the basis of the work we do at the SMaRT Centre at the University of New South Wales, where we pioneer the science of microrecycling and develop technology-based solutions to reform hard-to-recycle waste streams into value-added products and raw materials for remanufacturing.

Because we understand these wastes at the molecular level, we can sustainably recover and reform valuable materials from no- or low-value wastes and help to truly create a circular economy and a more sustainable future. Our best-known innovations are Green Steel Polymer Injection Technology[[, which uses waste rubber tyres as a partial replacement for the coke and coal needed in electric arc furnace steel-making, as well as our various modular MICROfactorie[[ Technologies that use different waste types to create products and raw materials for remanufacturing. Our Plastics module, for instance, reforms hard plastics from e-waste into filament for 3D printing. 

The intersection of engineering, materials science and sustainability is a fertile ground for innovation. Engineering provides the tools and techniques to design and build sustainable systems, while materials science offers insights into the properties and behaviour of materials. Together, they can create solutions that are both effective and sustainable – as is demonstrated by many of the stories in this publication. 

Addressing the climate emergency also requires creative problem-solving. Traditional approaches may not be sufficient to tackle the complex and interconnected challenges we face – scientists must explore unconventional solutions and interdisciplinary approaches. One example of creative problem-solving in this area is the development of bioengineered materials. Researchers are creating materials that mimic natural processes, such as photosynthesis, to capture and store carbon dioxide. These materials can be used in construction, reducing the carbon footprint of buildings. Similarly, bioengineered plants can be designed to absorb pollutants from the air and soil, helping to restore ecosystems damaged by industrial activities.

A diverse scientific community is crucial

A diverse and inclusive scientific community is essential for driving innovation and ensuring that sustainability solutions are equitable and just. Diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences bring a richness to scientific inquiry and lead to more robust and creative solutions. By fostering a culture of inclusion and providing equal opportunities for all, we can harness the full potential of the scientific community to address the challenges of sustainability.

And this benefit is clearly borne out through the wide range of perspectives and ideas covered in this book. The diversity of writers and subject matter is pure inspiration, and demonstrates novel approaches to both understanding and interrogating the challenges faced around the world. 

The challenges we face are significant, but by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, embracing future-focused technologies, and cultivating a diverse and inclusive scientific community, we can develop the innovative solutions needed to translate science into applications that help create a sustainable future for all.