Teenagers win Earth Prize for microplastic 'magnet'
Three sixteen-year-olds from India have won this year's Earth Prize. This award is the world's largest environmental sustainability competition for teenagers. Teens can win by developing innovative solutions to global eco-challenges. The three Indian teenagers won by inventing a biodegradable powder made from old tamarind seeds. A tamarind is a tropical fruit that is used in sauces and desserts. The powder attracts microplastics when it is put in water. The microplastics stick together and form a mass that we can see. The mass of microplastics and powder can then 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 three teenagers called their invention 'Plas-Stick'. They were extremely happy to win an award for it. They said: "Being named the global winners of the Earth Prize is incredibly special for all of us, especially as the 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 a special powder from thrown-away tamarind seeds that acts like a 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."
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