# Three Indian teens win global prize for microplastic removal 2026-08-09T08:47:33+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Three 16-year-olds from India, Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta, have won The Earth Prize 2026, the first Indian team to take the top honour. Their invention, Plas-Stick, is a biodegradable powder made from discarded tamarind seeds. When added to water, it binds microplastic particles into clumps that can be collected with a handheld magnet, bypassing the need for electricity or complex filtration. The project began as a response to the lack of clean drinking water in rural communities. The team tested their idea with support from IIT Guwahati and reached thousands of students and teachers. Their low-cost, infrastructure-free approach won a public vote of about 23,000 people. Further testing is needed before the method can be deployed widely. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Indian teens, innovation, microplastics, tamarind seeds, The Earth Prize, water purification Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/three-indian-teens-win-global-prize-for-microplastic-removal/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/three-indian-teens-win-global-prize-for-microplastic-removal/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.