My name is Hanna, and I’m a sustainability scientist with a passion for communication. I was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and raised in South East Asia and California, before eventually ending up in the Netherlands. I’m lucky to have international heritage and a roving childhood, which has cultivated curiosity in the world around me. 

My interest in sustainability began during my undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara,continued during my Master’s and culminated with a PhD from the Institute for Environmental Studies at VU Amsterdam in 2023. My dissertation is titled ‘Ripples to waves: How business models and entrepreneurs are propelling the transition towards a sustainable plastic system’. 

During my PhD, I presented at conferences and events for both academic and general audiences. My expertise lies in circular economy, marine plastic pollution and solutions, entrepreneurship and innovation. I have also conducted research in the field of consumer awareness, business models, climate adaptation and environmental economics. I love teaching, supervising and collaborating with stakeholders outside of academia (more on that, here). 

I’ve conducted field work research in the Pacific and after defending my PhD, I embarked on nearly a year of travel through North and South America, affirming my love of adventure.

I am now a freelance researcher and consultant – building a career integrating sustainability, communication and exploration.

My work includes a field expedition to the Pitcairn Islands to monitor marine plastic, understanding the impacts of the Global Plastics Treaty on small businesses and providing expert analysis on the complicated world of plastic credits. You can find my CV here.