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Teen Tackles Microplastics With Biodegradable Plastic
12 May
Summary
- Eighteen-year-old Ayra Satheesh won the European Earth Prize for her project.
- Her innovation, Eco Purge, creates biodegradable plastic that removes microplastics.
- Satheesh plans to scale up her invention using prize money for real-world applications.
Ayra Satheesh, an 18-year-old Irish student, has been awarded the European title for the 2026 Earth Prize, recognizing her innovative project, Eco Purge. This initiative focuses on creating a biodegradable plastic capable of breaking down safely while simultaneously releasing catalysts to eliminate microplastics from the environment.
Satheesh's Eco Purge project has already involved collaboration with researchers at Irish universities. The biodegradable plastic is plant-based and designed to carry special enzymes. These embedded enzymes remain stable and are gradually released as the plastic degrades, actively targeting and breaking down microplastics in various environments.
The young scientist received $12,500 in prize money, which she intends to use to scale up her invention for practical applications such as packaging and compost bags. She also plans to use half of the funds to test her theory of genetically modifying bacteria to produce the necessary enzymes, a crucial step for cost-effective production.
As Europe's Earth Prize winner, Satheesh has called for multinational companies in the EU to cease plastic usage, emphasizing that recycling alone is insufficient to combat the global plastic epidemic. Her work offers a promising avenue toward mitigating the pervasive issue of microplastic pollution.
