First Indian team of 16-year-olds wins the Earth Prize 2026
Technology
Three 16-year-olds from India, Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta, became the first Indian team to win The Earth Prize 2026.
In May 2026, their project, Plas-Stick, turns leftover tamarind seeds into a biodegradable powder that removes microplastics from water.
It's affordable, easy to use, and was chosen as the winner by roughly 23,000 people.
Plas-Stick enables magnetic microplastic removal
Plas-Stick mixes with water and makes microplastic bits stick together so they can be pulled out with a simple magnet: no fancy machines needed.
Created with help from IIT Guwahati researchers, it's designed for real-world use in places without high-tech filters.
While it's not on shelves yet, Plas-Stick could help both clean up plastic pollution and cut down on agricultural waste.