Zimbabwean Teen Wins Global Award for Plastic Alternative Made from Cow Dung and Apple Waste.

A 16-year-old Zimbabwean student, Nayeli Chinzo, has earned international recognition after developing a biodegradable and eco-friendly plastic alternative made from cow dung fibre and apple waste.

Chinzo, a student at Arundel Girls High School, represented Zimbabwe at the 2026 International Mathematics, Science and Engineering Fair (IMSEF) in Izmir, Türkiye, where her innovation won the Best Overall Award in the Chemistry Category.

Her project explores how agricultural waste can be transformed into biodegradable material capable of replacing conventional petroleum-based plastics, offering a potential solution to the growing global challenge of plastic pollution.

By using cow dung fibre and discarded apple waste, Chinzo's innovation demonstrates how materials often regarded as waste can be repurposed into environmentally friendly alternatives.

Her achievement places her among a growing generation of young Zimbabwean innovators who have gained international recognition through science and technology.

Another notable example is Pelagia Majoni, who at the age of 15 developed a scientific paper examining global warming and ozone depletion and proposed a novel scientific approach to addressing climate change.

Majoni, a former Queen Elizabeth High School student, represented Zimbabwe at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair in South Africa in 2017, where she won a silver medal.

Her performance earned her an opportunity to become one of the first Zimbabweans to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, United States, one of the world's major international science competitions for secondary-school students.