Community and advocacy

Hub leader Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO served as the 2026 Australia Day Ambassador for Narrabri Shire Council in north west NSW. 

The Nature Connection project has released a new policy summary translating national research findings into clear, decision-ready insights for governments and policymakers. 

Hub researchers were celebrated for their contribution to microplastics research at the Microplastics in Focus Conference.

The Hub’s Nature Connection team held a 2-day workshop in Tasmania to explore how Australians can better connect with nature.

The Hub’s Evaluating Safe Havens and Low-Cost Sensors project is working to improve indoor air quality in Victorian schools. 

Hub researcher Dr Heinz Schandl delivered the keynote address at Waste Expo Australia in Melbourne last month, exploring the potential and economic implications of the circular economy transition. 

Researchers from the Hub’s Understanding Microplastics project and collaborators from Ocean Protect recently presented their work at the Franc.2025 conference in the Hunter Valley. 

Hub leader Prof Veena Sahajwalla AO has given an address to the National Press Club of Australia titled "The Hidden Value in Our Rubbish: Communities, the Environment, and the Science of Remanufacturing."

The Water Sensitive and Liveable Communities in Regional and Remote Australia team have travelled to Darwin to host a collaborative workshop focused on improving water security, servicing and liveability outcomes across regional and remote communi

Hub leader Prof Veena Sahajwalla AO has called on policymakers, industry and communities to embrace a new vision for Australia’s waste in her National Press Club address in Canberra yesterday.

Hub researcher Heriyanto presented at the TEFMA25 conference on Impact Priority 2: Plastic and waste materials research. 

The Nature Connection Storytelling Pod featured at Winter in the Valley festival in Lenah Valley, Hobart. 

Ku-ring-gai Council and AUSMAP (Australian Microplastic Assessment Project) have visited UNSW labs as part of the Hub's synthetic grass microplastics project.  

The Hub is supporting a new community-led initiative in the town of Snug, Tasmania, to tackle harmful wood heater emissions. 

“End of life products are literally just products waiting to be remade into something else.” 

The Nature Connection project attended the 18th Biennale Conference on Communication and the Environment in Hobart. 

Wood heaters are a feature of many Australian homes, but they remain one of the country’s most significant sources of air pollution. 

The Hub’s commitment to supporting circular economies in regional and remote communities was showcased at the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium, held in Weipa this May.