[3] Sahajwalla is known for her role as a councillor on the independent Australian Climate Council[4] and as a judge on the ABC television show The New Inventors.

[7] She founded the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Lab at UNSW in 2008 which focused on recycling science and waste management.

[9] She has published over 380 peer-reviewed scientific papers with both the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur where she completed her education and the University of New South Wales where she works.

[7] She also has written and co-written many book chapters on the science of recycling including Unmaking Waste in Production and Consumption: Towards the Circular Economy.

[citation needed] Sahajwalla has continued to work with Australian steel corporations OneSteel and MolyCop to further the development of polymer injection technology.

[citation needed] The green steel movement has earned Sahajwalla many awards and grants which have aided her in continuing environmental research.

[12] This Project has also earned her international recognition which landed her positions on multiple government organizations focusing on climate change.

[16] Her innovation in green steel technology also has earned her the 2019 BHERT (Business Higher Education Round Table) Award.

[17] She launched her first micro-factory at the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Lab based at the University of New South Wales Kensington Campus in 2018.

[citation needed] Sahajwalla’s second micro-factory was launched in 2019 targeting the recycling of glass and textiles into green ceramics.

Some projects that Sahajwalla has worked on include a Mirvac collaboration with Marrickville and Co., Hunters Hill library, and recycled rubbish bins for the city of Canberra.

[25] Known internationally as the inventor of green steel,[27] Sahajwalla's research is recognized for changing the way the properties of carbon-bearing materials are understood, including coal, coke, graphite, plastics, and rubber.

Sahajwalla's work has had a significant impact on the theory and practices that form the basis of operations of the iron-making, steel-making and ceramics industries.

[28] Sahajwalla's unique focus on the evolution of carbon properties in high-temperature conditions has not only advanced scientific understanding of materials processing, but has provided cost-effective opportunities for industries to move towards sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods.

Her work to introduce small specialized recycling factories has significantly reduced carbon emissions and provided rural communities a way to up-cycle used items.