Irish 18-year-old wins Earth Prize for bioplastic that cleans up microplastics

EURONEWS

Ayra Satheesh from Ireland won the European Earth Prize 2026 — the world’s largest youth environmental competition — for Eco Purge, a biodegradable plastic that releases enzymes as it breaks down, actively removing microplastics from soil, freshwater, and saltwater. She developed it while still in school, collaborating with researchers at UCD Dublin and ATU Letterkenny.

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