At 18, this Irish student invented plant-based plastic that doesn't just biodegrade; it is designed to break down microplastics too

Plastic that disappears after use sounds useful enough. But what if, while breaking down, it could also help tackle some of the plastic pollution already left behind? That is the idea behind Eco Purge, an experimental plant-based material created by 18-year-old Irish student Arya Satheesh. Her invention is designed to biodegrade while releasing enzymes that target certain microplastics in the surrounding environment. Satheesh, from Letterkenny in County Donegal, had already spent years investigating water pollution. An earlier science project involved developing a smart monitor for detecting contaminants in drinking water.

From detecting pollution to trying to remove it

But detection eventually left her with a bigger question: what happens after microplastics are found? “I wanted to find a solution,” she told Smithsonian Magazine. That question led to Eco Purge, a biodegradable plastic designed to carry specialised enzymes. As the material breaks down, those enzymes are released and can act on existing PET-derived microplastics nearby.

How does Eco Purge work?

According to Smithsonian, Satheesh tested the prototype alongside microplastics in soil, freshwater and saltwater environments over six weeks. The experiments provided proof-of-concept results showing degradation of both Eco Purge and the microplastic contaminants under her test conditions. The project was not developed entirely in isolation. Satheesh has collaborated with researchers at University College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University Letterkenny and Ireland's BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre, according to Euronews. Her work won the European category of the 2026 Earth Prize, earning her $12,500 to continue developing the prototype.

Why microplastics are a much bigger problem

Microplastics are plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres and have been detected across ecosystems as well as in humans and animals. Charles Rolsky, executive director and senior research scientist at the Shaw Institute, told Smithsonian that microplastics can behave like “toxic sponges”, picking up heavy metals and synthetic chemicals. That makes Eco Purge's approach unusual: instead of only replacing conventional plastic, Satheesh wants the material to help deal with pollution that already exists.

What are the major hurdles

Eco Purge remains a prototype, and scaling it will not be simple. Rolsky cautioned that enzymes designed for one plastic cannot necessarily break down the many different plastics found in nature. In open environments, enzymes could also become too diluted to work effectively. High temperatures used in industrial plastic manufacturing can damage enzymes, while large-scale enzyme production could prove expensive. Those limitations make controlled environments such as composting facilities a potentially more realistic early application than oceans.

A teenager's idea with a bigger ambition

Satheesh hopes Eco Purge could eventually be used in packaging, compost bags and other products. Whether it can move from an award-winning prototype to commercially viable material will require considerably more testing. But its central idea is compelling: instead of asking only how future plastic waste can be reduced, an 18-year-old student is asking whether the plastic of tomorrow could also help clean up some of what previous generations left behind.