Fionn Ferreira
Reducing microplastic pollution
About
Fionn is a chemist, inventor and PhD researcher at ETH Zürich. Growing up on the west coast of Ireland, he spent much of his childhood by the sea. As a teenager, he became increasingly concerned by the plastic pollution he saw along the shoreline and began investigating the growing problem of microplastics in the ocean. Determined to find a solution, he set up a makeshift laboratory and began experimenting with ways to remove them from water.
Work
Fionn invented a new method that uses magnetic liquids to extract microplastics from water. Today, his refined system removes harmful particles from water with an efficiency of over 90%. Through the Green Journey Coalition, the nonprofit organisatoin he founded, he promotes open and accessible technologies to tackle plastic pollution, with the broader aim of making environmental solutions available to everyone, rather than restricted by patents or cost.