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In an era where environmental challenges demand urgent and innovative responses, three 16-year-old students from India have demonstrated that transformative solutions can emerge from the simplest of observations. Avyana Mehta, Ariana Agarwal, and Vivaan Chhawchharia — the creators of Plas-Stick — were named Global Winners of The Earth Prize 2026 at a ceremony held in Geneva on 29 May, becoming the first Indian team in the competition’s history to claim its highest honour.
The Problem That Sparked a Solution
The inspiration for Plas-Stick was neither born in a laboratory nor prompted by academic research alone. It arose from a visit to a rural community, where the trio witnessed a child consuming water stored in a shared plastic container — without access to any form of filtration. This moment crystallised a reality that affects billions globally: microplastic contamination in drinking water is not merely an environmental concern; it is a public health crisis largely invisible to the communities it harms most.
With over 2.2 billion people worldwide lacking access to safely managed drinking water infrastructure, the need for affordable and accessible solutions has never been more pressing.
What Is Plas-Stick?
Developed with support from researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, and further refined under the guidance of Dr. Rajesh Khandelwal, Plas-Stick is a biodegradable magnetic powder derived from discarded tamarind seeds — an agricultural by-product abundantly available across India. When introduced into contaminated water, the powder attracts microplastic particles and draws them into visible clumps. These clumps are subsequently extracted using a simple handheld magnet, requiring no electricity, no complex machinery, and no expensive infrastructure.
Crucially, the extracted microplastics are not simply discarded. They are repurposed into small functional items such as tiles or coasters, ensuring the collected material cannot re-enter the natural environment. The elegance of this invention lies in its accessibility and its end-to-end approach — a solution designed not for well-equipped urban facilities, but for the communities that need it most.
A Historic Recognition
The Earth Prize, organised by The Earth Foundation — a non-profit based in Geneva, Switzerland, founded in 2019 — is widely regarded as the world’s largest environmental competition for young people aged 13 to 19. This year’s competition saw participation from over 21,000 students across 169 countries and territories. The three Indian teenagers first secured the Asia regional title, receiving $12,500 in funding, before advancing to the global stage where approximately 23,000 public voters selected them as the overall winners from seven regional finalists.
Looking Ahead
Plas-Stick has already been introduced to more than 8,000 students and teachers through awareness campaigns and live demonstrations. The team has set an ambitious target of reaching between 35,000 and 40,000 individuals by the close of 2026, with plans to establish decentralised production hubs to facilitate wider distribution across rural India.
The achievement of Avyana Mehta, Ariana Agarwal, and Vivaan Chhawchharia is a powerful reminder that meaningful environmental innovation does not always require sophisticated technology or substantial resources. Sometimes, it requires only a keen eye, a determined mind, and the willingness to transform what is discarded into what is essential.
