The End of the Trash Can: Why the Circular Economy is Capitalism’s Great Upgrade
Professor Ir Ts Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi FASc is a professor at the Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, UTM. She is a chemical engineer who helps industries reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions, and plan realistic pathways towards net zero. She earned her chemical engineering degree from the University of Manchester (2003) and completed her PhD at UTM (2007). Her work connects university research with practical tools and methods applicable in real industrial settings.
Over the past 20+ years, she has led many research and industry projects focused on improving how plants and systems use resources, such as energy, heat, water, and utilities, more efficiently. She previously served as the Director of UTM’s Process Systems Engineering Centre (PROSPECT), where she guided numerous collaborations with industry and government partners. Through these efforts, she has supported energy efficiency programmes, sustainable industrial planning, and solutions that help organisations measure and reduce their environmental impact.
In her talk, “The Hidden Story Behind What We Buy — And How Verbund Thinking Shapes Net Zero Industries”, she will share how everyday products carry a “hidden” footprint from the energy and emissions generated across supply chains. She will highlight Verbund thinking—designing industries so that one plant’s waste, heat, or by-products can become another plant’s useful input—helping to reduce both costs and carbon. At UTM, she is also the Head Coordinator of the Plant Design Project and is passionate about training the next generation of Verbund Plant Designers who can build smarter, more connected, low-carbon industries.