Indian Teenagers Turn Tamarind Waste Into Weapon Against Microplastics, Win Earth Prize
Photo: The Earth Prize
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – A group of Indian teenagers has developed an unlikely tool in the fight against microplastic pollution: tamarind seeds.
Sixteen-year-olds Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta from India were named Asia Winners of The Earth Prize 2026 for creating “Plas-Stick,” a biodegradable powder made from discarded tamarind seeds that helps remove microplastics from drinking water.
The innovation targets one of the world’s fastest-growing environmental and public health concerns. Microplastics, the tiny plastic fragments that contaminate rivers, oceans, soil and drinking water, have increasingly been detected in human blood, lungs and food systems, alarming scientists and policymakers worldwide.
The students designed Plas-Stick as a low-cost alternative to expensive water filtration systems that are often inaccessible in rural and underserved communities.
When added to stored water, the tamarind-based powder attracts microscopic plastic particles, causing them to clump together into larger visible masses. Those clumps can then be removed using a handheld magnet, without electricity or sophisticated infrastructure.
The idea emerged during the team’s environmental science studies and a visit to a rural community where residents relied on shared water containers for drinking water.
“Seeing a child drink from one of these containers made the issue feel immediate and personal,” the students said in a statement released by The Earth Prize. “We realized that microplastic exposure through everyday drinking water is a hidden challenge affecting millions.”
Globally, more than 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water infrastructure, according to international estimates cited by the competition organizers. In many communities, stored water becomes the primary source of drinking water, increasing the risk of contamination from plastic particles.
The students said they intentionally designed the solution to be simple, affordable and scalable. By using waste tamarind seeds, which is a readily available agricultural byproduct in India, the project also addresses food and agricultural waste while promoting sustainable materials.
Plas-Stick has already been tested through school outreach programs and awareness campaigns, reaching more than 8,000 students and teachers. The team has also collaborated with researchers and professionals from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati to refine the technology.
As Asia regional winners, the students will receive $12,500 in funding from The Earth Foundation to further develop and expand the project. The team plans to establish decentralized production hubs and bring the technology to more rural communities across India.
Now in its fifth year, The Earth Prize describes itself as the world’s largest environmental competition for young people aged 13 to 19. Founded in the wake of the 2019 global climate strikes, the Geneva-based initiative supports student-led environmental solutions through mentorship, training and funding.
This year’s competition drew participants from 169 countries and territories, reflecting growing youth engagement with environmental challenges ranging from climate change and waste management to water scarcity and biodiversity loss.
Peter McGarry, founder of the foundation, said the 2026 winners demonstrated that “age is no barrier to meaningful change.”
