Shawn Wei ’26 was named a 2026 Westchester County EcoAward recipient for his project “PlastiLess,” a powder that helps tackle microplastic pollution in wastewater by degrading 18% of microplastics into non-toxic byproducts such as carbon dioxide and water. 

Shawn’s development of the project first began as an intern at the Institute of Oceanology in China in the summer of 2024, continuing his work during the 2024-25 school year as an independent study with Director of Sustainability Kerry Linderoth and has since been recognized at the EcoAwards and Bedford 2030 Greenlight Awards. Shawn has also showcased his project on Rye Country Day’s campus at both the Student Action Summit and Green Screen. 

Shawn was recognized among municipalities, nonprofits, educational institutions, and community leaders who have demonstrated measurable impact through recycling, waste reduction, environmental education, and sustainability initiatives.

Congratulations, Shawn, on this wonderful achievement! 

An Excerpt from PlastiLess
“Microplastics pose major environmental risks, yet current remediation methods are inefficient. Photocatalytic degradation is promising, but TiO2catalysts are limited by recombination, low visible light absorption, and poor reusability. This study develops a magnetically recoverable Fe3O4@TiO2/Ag nanocomposite for polyethylene (PE) degradation under simulated sunlight. After 3 hours, it achieved 15.54% degradation, outperforming Fe3O4@TiO2 (12.63%) and TiO2 (1.15%), while maintaining stability across five cycles and diverse water conditions. Optimized at 130 wt% Fe3O4 and 4.6 wt% Ag, the catalyst reached a predicted efficiency of 17.94%, demonstrating a reusable and effective approach to microplastic remediation.”