Irish 18-year-old Satheesh's Eco Purge shows self-degradation and microplastic breakdown
Technology
An 18-year-old from Ireland, Satheesh, has invented Eco Purge, a plant-based plastic that breaks down both itself and harmful microplastics.
In tests across soil, freshwater, and saltwater environments, Eco Purge showed proof-of-concept degradation of both Eco Purge and the microplastic contaminants under its test conditions over six weeks.
Satheesh wins European Earth Prize $12,500
Inspired by her earlier work on detecting water contaminants, Satheesh teamed up with top Irish research centers to create Eco Purge as a fix for today's and tomorrow's plastic problems.
The invention won her the European category of the 2026 Earth Prize and $12,500 to help turn this idea into something we might actually see in packaging or compost bags eventually.