Three sixteen-year-olds from India have won this year's Earth Prize. This award is world's largest environmental sustainability competition for teenagers. Teens can win by developing innovative solutions to global eco-challenges. three Indian teenagers won by inventing biodegradable powder made from old tamarind seeds. tamarind is tropical fruit that is used in sauces and desserts. powder attracts microplastics when it is put in water. microplastics stick together and form mass that we can see. mass of microplastics and powder can then be removed from the water with a magnet. powder is a simple, cheap way to make water safer to drink in rural areas.
three teenagers called their invention 'Plas-Stick'. They were extremely happy to win award for it. They said: "Being named global winners of the Earth Prize is incredibly special for all of us, especially as first team from India to receive it." They added: "Tiny bits of plastic hide in our drinking water, but they're too small to see. We made special powder from thrown-away tamarind seeds that acts like magnet for these tiny plastics." Their website outlines another benefit. It said: "The collected plastic is safely turned into small useful items... so it can't return to nature. This simple method helps protect people, animals, and our planet from invisible plastic pollution."
