Page 67 - Plastics News June 2026
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Indian Students Win ‘The Earth Prize’ For
Microplastics Solution
hree students from India have won The often stored in shared containers without access
Earth Prize 2026 for developing an in- to advanced filtration systems. “Microplastics
Tnovative solution to tackle microplastics stood out to us because they are invisible, but
in water. Rajasthan based Sixteen-year-olds the risk is very real. In many rural communities,
Avyana Mehta, Vivaan Chhawchharia and Ari- people drink water wit out knowing what may
be present in it,” the team stated. “We came up
with the solution by first being very clear about
the problem we wanted to solve. Once that was
clear, we started looking for materials that were
already available around us. Tamarind seeds
stood out because they are often treated as
waste, but they have natural binding properties.
We tested whether they could help bring micro-
plastic particles together, and developed the
solution further,” they said. Already deployed,
Plas-Stick has so far reached more than 8,000
ana Agarwal created Plas-Stick, a powder made students and teachers, and the team has also
from waste tamarind seeds that attracts micro- collaborated with professionals from Indian Insti-
plastics, causing them to clump together so they tute of Technology, Guwahati.
can be removed using a handheld magnet. De-
World’s first’ Facility that Converts Waste
signed for use in shared water containers, the
Plastic to Aviation Fuel
solution offers a simple, low-cost alternative to
complex filtration systems. With support from World’s first’ pilot facility converting waste plas-
The Earth Prize, the team plans to scale the solu- tic to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) opens
tion through decentralised production hubs and in Kent. The pilot facility, which is operated by
expand into rural communities across India, mak- Clean Planet Technologies, is dedicated to con-
ing safer drinking water more accessible. “The verting hard-to-recycle waste plastics into SAF.
prize money will help us scale Plas-Stick in a more Known as the Sustainability Innovation Centre,
structured and responsible way. By the end of the facility is set up to research and develop
2026, we hope to grow from educating 8,000 new technologies that can deal with non-recy-
people about it to around 35,000–40,000.” The clable plastic waste, beginning with conversion
idea took shape by the team’s studies in envi- into jet fuel. Clean Planet Technologies says the
ronmental science and a visit to a rural commu- pilot has financial support in place from the De-
nity where they observed that drinking water is partment for Transport-funded UK SAF Clearing
June 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 69
