This High Schooler Invented a Plant-Based Plastic That Removes Microplastics From the Environment as It Biodegrades

Ramsha Waseem in Smithsonian:Arya Satheesh, an 18-year-old student from Letterkenny in County Donegal, Ireland, has spent the past couple of years studying microplastics. The young scientist researched plastic pollution and the challenges of detecting microplastics in drinking water. “I thought there’s no point in saying, ‘Oh, recycle, recycle.’” To address the problem, Satheesh invented Eco Purge, a plant-based, biodegradable plastic. Once disposed of, the plastic takes up to two weeks to degrade and release enzymes into the environment that break down existing microplastics in the surrounding soil and water.