Ideas for the kitchen and bathroom sought in 2023 student plastics design competition

Budding designers interested in working with plastics have been set a challenge to design a new product for the kitchen or bathroom by the Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition, 2023, sponsored by Covestro.

This competition, contested annually by university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland, is inviting them to design a functional item made primarily from plastics, which is an original concept or a significant improvement on an existing product. Students must submit their projects by March 26, when a panel of industry judges will scrutinise the entries and choose six finalists.

Chairman of DIP, Martin Sixsmith, said: "There is a great deal of scope to come up with something which could help anyone from children to the elderly or disabled, as well as dealing with issues such as accessibility or the lack of space in either the kitchen or the bathroom. The judges will also be looking very closely at how the designs maximise lifespan and sustainability. We’re very much looking forward to seeing what materialises from this brief."

Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. It is supported by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, the Worshipful Company of Horners, and sponsored by leading design and plastics organisations, such as Covestro, which is the headline industry sponsor.

The entries for the competition will be whittled down to a final six, when the judges meet in April. On May 26, they will ask all six finalists to present their products at an all-day session in London. The final result will be announced at a ceremony in London on July 7.