Two pupils from Ealing’s St Augustine’s Priory have been recognised in a national competition encouraging young people to develop solutions to plastic pollution.
Year 11 students Tami and Gabriella were among more than 3,000 entrants in the UCL Ocean Health Challenge 2025: The Plastic Waste Challenge, a nationwide initiative inviting pupils aged 11 to 18 to design practical ways to reduce plastic waste reaching the ocean.
Participants were asked to identify a source of plastic pollution, propose an intervention and produce a working prototype aimed at limiting the environmental impact on marine ecosystems.
Tami won first place in the Key Stage 4 category for a proposal to create a community thrift shop that collects, cleans and redistributes waste materials for use in art projects. The concept aims to turn discarded everyday items into creative resources while reducing the amount of waste that could reach waterways and oceans.
Gabriella was named runner-up for designing a stormwater drain filter made from sustainable bamboo. The device is intended to capture larger plastic items before they pass through drainage systems and enter rivers and the sea.
