From transforming seaweed into biodegradable fabric to removing microplastics from water, teenagers around the world are proving that climate innovation has no age limit.
This month, seven extraordinary teams were named Regional Winners of The Earth Prize 2026, the world’s largest environmental competition and ideas incubator for young people aged 13-19. After receiving more than 6,000 applications from students across the globe, The Earth Prize selected 35 top teams, before seven Regional Winners emerged, representing the regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Central and South America, and Oceania and Southeast Asia.
This year’s winning projects tackle some of the planet’s biggest environmental challenges with remarkable creativity and optimism. Their ideas range from biodegradable medical bandages to maize-based vehicle exhaust filters to systems that remove microplastics from drinking water.
Each Regional Winner has already received $12,500 in funding to help bring their solutions to life, whether that means building stronger prototypes, launching community programmes, or scaling their environmental impact.
Together, these seven young teams are offering something the climate conversation urgently needs: practical solutions, fresh thinking, and genuine hope for the future.
The Europe regional winner is Eco-Purge from Ireland, where Arya Satheesh created a biodegradable plastic that breaks down safely while releasing catalysts to remove existing microplastics. “Eco Purge is designed to both replace plastic and help remove existing microplastics,” Satheesh explained. “I hope it can become a scalable solution that makes a real difference.”
In Africa, HewaSafi Innovators from Kenya earned the regional title. Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo developed a low-cost vehicle exhaust system capturing emissions using filters made from maize, coconut, agricultural waste, and algae. “Growing up in Naivasha, my bronchitis got bad enough that I stopped thinking of air pollution as an environmental issue and started thinking of it as something being done to us,” Kariuki shared. “HewaSafi is our answer to that.”
The Middle East winner is Build Hope from Palestine, where Tala and Farah Mousa are turning rubble into reusable blocks while bringing young people together to rebuild communities. “The solution is decentralized, low-cost, and relies on locally available materials,” the sisters explained. “It’s designed to be replicated by communities without heavy machinery or specialized infrastructure.”
Palestinian sisters Tala and Farah Mousa, the Middle East winners of The Earth Prize 2026, are turning war rubble into reusable building blocks through their Build Hope project, a decentralized, low-cost solution designed to help communities rebuild without heavy machinery or specialized infrastructure. Photo courtesy of The Earth Prize.
Asia’s regional winner is Plas-Stick from India. Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta invented a powder made from waste tamarind seeds that clumps microplastics, making them easier to remove from water with a handheld magnet. “Plas-Stick was designed to be simple, affordable, and accessible,” the team shared. “This support allows us to take it beyond pilot schools and scale it to many more communities.”
In Oceania and Southeast Asia, Homes for Hornbills from Thailand won the region. Yanin (Proud) Tangkaravakoon protects hornbills, vital seed dispersers in forests, by building nests from upcycled plastic bottles, in partnership with community conservation efforts. “Winning the Earth Prize gives me the chance to scale this work by expanding nest deployment and partnering with local communities,” Tangkaravakoon said.
North America’s winner is SargaTex PR from Puerto Rico, where Helena do Rego developed a biodegradable fabric made from sargassum seaweed for clothing and footwear. “Winning The Earth Prize gives me the chance to further develop SargaTex PR and scale a solution that turns waste into materials that are better for both people and the planet,” Rego explained.
The Central and South America regional winner is HADA from Brazil. Bernardo Renner and Ísis Valentin created biodegradable bandages made with aloe vera and chamomile, replacing plastic with plant-based alternatives. “Something as small as a bandage is used by millions of people every day, yet it creates waste and doesn’t always support healing,” the team noted. “Winning The Earth Prize gives us the chance to bring Hada into real-world use.”
If you’re inspired by this year’s Earth Prize Regional Winners, why not apply for next year? Registrations are already open for 2027.
