An 18-year-old Co Donegal student, Arya Satheesh of Loreto Secondary School in Letterkenny, has won the global Earth Prize 2026 for developing a biodegradable plastic that also helps break down existing microplastics.
Her project, Eco Purge, embeds enzymes into plant-based plastic so that it safely decomposes while gradually releasing catalysts that degrade microplastics in water, soil, and compost. Unlike most solutions focused only on reducing plastic use, her approach also targets pollution already in the environment.
Satheesh, originally from Kerala and raised in Ireland, said her interest in science began during Transition Year, describing it as life-changing. She was inspired after earlier work on water quality revealed how widespread microplastics are and how difficult they are to remove.
The project has already reached prototype stage and been developed in collaboration with researchers at University College Dublin’s BiOrbic centre and Atlantic Technological University Letterkenny. With prize funding of about €12,000 from a shared $100,000 award pool, she plans to scale up production and develop real-world products such as packaging and compostable bags.
She also aims to study biotechnology in the UK or at Trinity College Dublin.
