Ryan Plunkett and Killian Farrell, two transition year students from Tullamore College in County Offaly, Ireland, are redefining what innovation looks like at the grassroots level.
Motivated by a vision for a more sustainable and resourceful future, the teens set out to reduce waste in their community and wound up taking home gold at Ireland's 2025 Young Social Innovators' Awards.
As reported by the Irish Independent, the pair's journey began at their school's YSI program, which encourages students to develop real-world solutions to social and environmental challenges.
Their idea turned piles of discarded grass clippings at the nearby Tullamore Pitch and Putt Club into paper. With guidance from Offaly County Council, they turned that waste into raw material, developing an entirely new kind of eco-friendly paper called Grass Sheets.
Their innovation addresses a problem with global implications: an overreliance on tree-based paper products. Paper manufacturing is water-intensive and contributes to deforestation and the release of harmful pollution.
Plunkett and Farrell's work flips that narrative, offering a renewable alternative made from an often-overlooked local resource: mowed grass.
In testing and development, the students used their grass paper to make functional products like bags, pouches for wildflowers, and even a jacket.
While their project is good for the planet, it's even better for their peers and community. Through hands-on experimentation, public speaking, and real-world collaboration, Plunkett and Farrell grew their own confidence and inspired others to think differently about what "trash" can be.
"YSI has definitely opened an awful lot of doors for the kids," their teacher, Emma Bradley, told the Irish Independent. "We do a brief afterwards and ask, 'How did you find (doing the YSI project)?' And they say, 'I would never have stood up on a stage if you had asked me in September.'"
Grass Sheets isn't just about recycling; it's about helping young people realize they can shape the world around them. It's a shining example of local climate action and a great reminder that some of the most effective sustainability solutions start small and close to home.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Which of these environmental causes would you be most interested in supporting with a financial donation?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Promoting clean energy 🔋 Plunkett and Farrell are looking to commercialize Grass Sheets and are already starting to collaborate with local businesses to extend the impact of their project. With help from their school mentors, they're hoping to develop new uses and refine the process for even broader use.
As Bradley told the Irish Independent, the project stood out from day one, noting that "she was immediately [struck] by how 'creative' and 'different' their idea was"
"The future is bright," she added.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
