Vietnam-based CocoMellow are on a shared mission to reduce the colossal amount of global waste produced from everyday, single-use disposable items. Although their four-person team of Duc, Vi, Nguyen (Candle) and Hwan are all from different grades across different schools, what brings them together is this shared passion for waste reduction and championing sustainable natural resources.

The quartet originally met at the Vietnamese student network i-IVY, where they were also put in touch with some previous The Earth Prize contestants. Inspired by their story and the competition in general, the group began brainstorming how they could weave together their different interests, from humanities like English and History, to science-based subjects like Geography and Economics, and create a new environmentally-friendly product that has a wide impact.

Starting with ideas focused on tissues and sanitary pads, the team finally landed on the concept of a planet-friendly diaper after researching the environmental consequences of these necessary items. While looking into plastic-free alternatives that could serve as the fibres within their diaper prototype, they discovered that coconut is hypoallergenic and antibacterial, and banana is soft and kind to babies’ skin. In addition, both plants are sustainably produced and can be scaled for production. This unique combination is the basis of CocoMellow’s submission for The Earth Prize 2024 and also feeds into their striking team name.

When asked what their favourite part of The Earth Prize has been, the team mentioned the creativity they experienced when researching which fruit fibres to use and weighing up decisions from a scientific but also a cost perspective. This freedom to make their own decisions and innovate, they explain, is not something they usually experience at school. For future applicants, their advice is “Just apply!”, find the fun in the process and enjoy all the extra-curricular skills that you’ll learn “for school or later in life”.