Source : Perth Now news
Two inventive teenagers from Rockingham have come up with patent-pending technology to recycle aluminium — earning themselves a prestigious State award for innovation.
Comet Bay College Year 10 students Logan Tolic and Natalie Coutinho developed their idea after attending a regional youth event, GOSHackathon, which challenges kids to come up with solutions to real-world problems.
The co-founders of Agni Renewables have been named joint winners — along with a student from Hale School — of the 2026 Young Innovators Award.
The students devised a method to sustainably recover valuable aluminium from discarded electronics.
GOSHackathon organiser Michelle Wong said their success showed just what a little extra mentoring support could do for students from regional areas.
She said many students who attended the problem-solving events were neurodivergent, so her aim was to give them a chance to show what they could do in a non-traditional environment.
“We provide this really great safe space for them,” she said. “We challenge them in the right ways, and then let them soar.
“It’s also about raising the aspirations of all young people in those regions that they can use innovation to create future pathways for themselves.
“We keep providing them with opportunities to build their skills and business acumen.”
Natalie, 15, who dreams of one day working in Formula One racing, said they both felt overwhelmed and surprised to win the award.
“Logan’s passion is chemical engineering, so he spends a lot of time doing chemistry or researching,” she said. “And then I work alongside him to verify and make sure what he’s looking at is correct.”
Comet Bay College principal Kelly Bennett said it was “just incredible” to see Logan and Natalie recognised for their creativity and hard work.
“What’s particularly special is they’ve come up with a really interesting idea, and it can be applied to a real world challenge,” she said.“It really does have potential to make a real difference.
“The number of people that have been in touch with them, industries and people in business that are really interested in what they’re doing, could really open doors for them. It’s so exciting.”
Ms Bennett said the event that had inspired the students had also reinforced the science and technology education they received in the school’s gifted and talented program.
“So not just learning about the subjects as individuals, but bringing all those disciplines together and challenging conventional thinking and developing innovative solutions,” she said.
