These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Gayatri Sakharkar has invented a substitute for agricultural plastic film that leaves no toxic trace because it is made from orange and pineapple peels. This 15-year-old, Grade 10 student from Calgary won silver in the 2026 Canadian Youth Science Fair competition and is a 2026 national youth climate activism award winner from the Institute for Sustainability Education and Action. 

Tell us about your project.

Gardeners and farmers use commercially available plastic film to help face worsening droughts, heat and aggressive pests. Most film degrades into microplastics that pollute crop soil and our bodies. Even “biodegradable” options often fail to break down in soil and leave harmful residues even if they are industrially composted later. My solution avoids these risks entirely.

My film is made from pineapple and orange peels, eggshells, cellulose derived from waste paper and leaves. I’ve tested it in university labs and through planting experiments, proving it boosts soil productivity just as effectively as commercial alternatives.

The cellulose and calcium........

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