Three sixteen-year-olds in India have won this year's Earth Prize. It is the world's largest environmental competition for teenagers. It is for thinking of solutions to global eco-challenges. The three teenagers invented a biodegradable powder made from tamarind seeds. A tamarind is a tropical fruit that is used in sauces. Microplastics in water stick to the powder. The mass of microplastics and powder can be removed from the water with a magnet. The powder is a simple, cheap way to make water safer to drink in rural areas.

The teenagers called their invention 'Plas-Stick'. They were extremely happy to win an award for it. They said it was "incredibly special for all of us, especially as the first team from India to receive it". They explained: "Tiny bits of plastic hide in our drinking water, but they're too small to see. We made a special powder…that acts like a magnet for these tiny plastics." Their website also says the collected plastic is turned into useful items, "so it can't return to nature". The powder will protect people, animals, and our planet from microplastic pollution.