Phạm Thị Ngọc Trâm

Vietnamese environmental activist who pioneered plastic waste upcycling in Mekong Delta

Phạm Thị Ngọc Trâm (1990-present) transformed Southeast Asia's approach to plastic pollution through her community-driven upcycling movement. After witnessing the 2016 Mekong Delta ecological crisis, she developed low-tech methods to convert plastic waste into durable construction materials.

Her Plastic Brick Revolution initiative (2018) achieved three breakthroughs: 1) Created fire-resistant bricks from mixed polymers 2) Reduced production costs by 78% compared to conventional recycling 3) Established 143 micro-factories across Vietnam employing marginalized women

Trâm's most impactful innovation came in 2021 with the River Cleaner V2 - a solar-powered waste collection system that processes 4 tons of river plastic daily. This technology now operates in 9 countries along major polluted waterways.