The Earth Prize 2026: Indian teen trio named Global Winners for magnetic tamarind powder that removes microplastics from water

• The Earth Prize is the world’s largest environmental competition and ‘ideas incubator’ for 13-19 year-olds, empowering young people with mentorship and shared $100K funding
• Global Winners team Plas-Stick from India created a magnetic tamarind powder that removes microplastics from water
• Around 23,000 people voted to decide the Global Winner from seven Regional Winners across the globe
• Plas-Stick is the first ever Global Winner of The Earth Prize from India

GENEVA, Switzerland, 29 May - Today, The Earth Prize 2026 named its Global Winners: 16-year-olds Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta from India. Their solution, Plas-Stick, is a biodegradable magnetic tamarind powder that removes microplastics from water. Notably, Plas-Stick is the first-ever Global Winner from India.

Last week, around 23,000 people cast their votes to select the Global Winner from seven inspiring Regional Winners representing every continent: North America, Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Oceania and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Representing the Regional Winner for Asia, Plas-Stick had already received $12.5K to scale their solution.

The announcement was made today during The Earth Prize 2026 Award Ceremony. Plas-Stick will also now receive a sustainably crafted ‘100-year’ flag to be flown at their school, handsewn from recycled sailboat sails, and passed on from the previous winners. Reflecting on their win, Vivaan, Ariana and Avyana said:

The idea for Plas-Stick emerged after the team visited a rural community where drinking water was commonly stored in shared plastic containers, without advanced filtration systems. 

During this visit, seeing a child drink from one of these containers highlighted exposure to microplastics through everyday drinking water, particularly in underserved rural communities in India. Globally, over 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water infrastructure, increasing reliance on stored water that may contain microplastics.

Determined to create a solution, the team developed a biodegradable powder made from discarded tamarind seeds. When added to water, the powder attracts and binds microplastic particles into visible clumps that can then be removed using a handheld magnet. Designed to work without electricity or complex machinery, the solution is low-cost and scalable.

Already deployed through workshops and demonstrations, Plas-Stick has reached and educated more than 8,000 students and teachers so far. The team has also collaborated with professionals from IIT Guwahati to further strengthen testing and development of the technology.

Following their Global Winner recognition, the team now plans to scale the solution through decentralised production hubs and expand to rural communities across India, making safer drinking water more accessible across rural Indian communities and beyond.

Like many students taking part in The Earth Prize, the team turned a problem they witnessed firsthand into a practical environmental solution. Now in its fifth year, The Earth Prize has reached over 21,000 students across 169 countries and territories. Previous winners have been featured in leading international media including Forbes, BBC, the Financial Times, CBS, Business Insider, Euronews, and UN Today, with several teams advancing their ideas through patents, partnerships and commercial pilots.

The Earth Prize is run by The Earth Foundation, a non-profit based in Geneva, Switzerland, founded during the School Strike for Climate in 2019. At a time when climate anxiety affects a majority of young people - with 59% reporting they are very or extremely worried about the environment - the Prize provides a pathway from concern to action, equipping students with the tools to develop tangible, real-world solutions.

Peter McGarry, Founder of The Earth Foundation, said of Plas-Stick’s win:

For young people aged 13-19 years who have been inspired by this year’s Earth Prize cohort, there has never been a better time to innovate for our planet. Registrations are already open for 2027 at https://www.theearthprize.org.