The 2024 edition of the Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) is open for entries. This year the challenge is to design a self-powered plastic device that can be used off-grid. Allowed power sources include solar, wind, tidal, thermal, kinetic, or bio and mechanical forces.
The competition will be contested by university undergraduates all over the UK and Ireland. It is asking them to design a functional item which is an original concept or a significant improvement on an existing product – and made primarily from plastic. The product must be aimed at the domestic or sports and leisure markets.
Ever ran out of battery whilst on a hike? A solar-powered battery could have come in handy. Tired of wearing the same smelly clothes whilst camping? Why not give a go at a mechanically powered washing machine? The possibilities are almost limitless. Lovers of the great outdoors are likely to be pleased with whatever solutions win the competition.
Students must submit their projects by March 31, when a panel of industry judges will examine the entries and choose their finalists. The award ceremony takes place on July 5.
The winner will receive a cash prize of GBP 1,000. All six finalists receive a cash prize, a placement with a Design Innovation in Plastics sponsor or an industrial course, and a year’s affiliate membership of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. Covestro is main sponsor of the 2024 competition.
‘‘This is a challenging but dynamic brief which will encourage undergraduates to make creative use of the versatility of plastics,” said Martin Sixsmith, chairman of the DIP. “We’ll be looking primarily at the design concepts rather than the minute detail of the mechanism of the product, however the mechanism does need to be feasible, in principle, based on research.”
Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. Finalists of previous editions include a reusable bedpan for a pulp liner to fit inside, a reusable portable catheter bag holder, and a shower stand for amputees.