Fionn’s passion: To clean up the environment by removing microplastics from water and contribute to the achievement of a more circular economy. Fionn Ferreira is a 23-year-old scientist, inventor, and sustainability advocate who is passionate about cleaning up the environment by removing microplastics from water. Fionn grew up kayaking along... Read more
Fionn’s passion: To clean up the environment by removing microplastics from water and contribute to the achievement of a more circular economy.
Fionn Ferreira is a 23-year-old scientist, inventor, and sustainability advocate who is passionate about cleaning up the environment by removing microplastics from water. Fionn grew up kayaking along the remote coast of Ireland with his dog India, he noticed an increasing amount of plastic washing up on the coastline, which sparked his interest in solving the plastic pollution crisis.
Fionn was horrified to learn that, on average, we consume a credit card’s worth of plastic every week through contaminated food and water, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s and cancer.
At 16, Fionn built several inventions using LEGOs, bits of wood, and microcontrollers to test for and collect microplastics after realising that there were no existing methods for microplastic removal. He took it upon himself to create his own solution, developing a method that uses a magnet-based method to remove microplastics from water with high extraction rates while being environmentally safe and cost-effective.
Fionn’s invention earned him recognition as the Global Grand Prize Winner of the Google Science Fair 2019 and garnered the attention of top scientists and industry leaders. He founded his corporation, Fionn & Co. LLC and his foundation, the Green Journey Coalition in 2020 to continue research and development on his device. He received support from Robert Downey Jr and his Footprint Coalition and is seeking further support to continue his work.
Fionn’s passion for exploration and science means that no place is too remote for his research. He has been on two research expeditions in the Arctic: Svalbard, Greenland and Canada where he studied plastics and pollution. Follow Fionn to see where his next expedition takes him, and what he finds.
Fionn is also a sought-after global keynote speaker and has spoken at various conferences and events, including the World Economic Forum, European Commission research conference, National Geographic Explorer’s Summit, and ChangeNow Paris 2022, to name a few. He was named a National Geographic Young Explorer in 2021, and a European Patent Office Young Inventors prize winner, 2023. He was also named in Forbes 30 Under 30 (Science and Healthcare 2021) and is an ambassador for The AAT Project, among other achievements.
Fionn was invited to be one of six youth advisors on the Youth Advisory board to Method, which helps implement a circular economy at Method. He was also featured in a Global HP Campaign and Emporio Armani’s 2022 sustainable clothing line and accessory campaign.
In addition to his microplastics work, Fionn is passionate about creating and developing television series that combine science and entertainment and is working on his first children’s book. He has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Groningen, and is currently perusing a Master’s in Chemistry.