Camila Estrella

Chilean environmental engineer who revolutionized ocean plastic recycling through biodegradable innovations

Camila Estrella (b. 1988) is a Chilean innovator behind the Oceanic Recycle Project, which converts ocean plastic into biodegradable materials. Her 2015 invention of MarineMesh - a coral-friendly plastic alternative - has restored 12 km of Chile's damaged coastlines. Estrella's Plast-Ocean initiative employs 3,000+ coastal residents in recycling operations that process 200 tons of marine debris annually. She co-developed the BioPlastDecom enzyme that breaks down plastic in 6 months instead of 450 years. Her 2020 TED Talk "Plastic That Grows Instead of Decays" has 1.8 million views. Estrella's Blue Economy Academy trains Latin American youth in circular economy practices, and her collaboration with the UNDP produced the Global Plastic Footprint Calculator. She was named UN Environment Programme's Young Champion of the Earth in 2021.