CIRCUL-A-THON Design Competition by SABIC

CIRCUL-A-THON Design Competition by SABIC is now open for entries!

CIRCUL-A-THON Design Competition by SABIC: CIRCUL-A-THON Design Competition by SABIC organizes by Plug and Play and sponsored by SABIC, has been recently opened for entries invitng all professional and student designers over the age of 18 to design a circular future.

About Competition

CIRCUL-A-THON Design Competition by SABIC organizes by Plug and Play and sponsored by SABIC, has been recently opened for entries invitng all professional and student designers over the age of 18 to design a circular future. Technological breakthroughs, such as IoT, smart appliances, and electrification, are changing how we live, work, and take care of ourselves. We’re creating more convenience and comfort than ever before, but climate change and global scarcity of resources are still holding us back.

SABIC is excited to engage with creative and visionary designers on a quest to develop consumer products with innovative material technologies. These real-life products will feature the ease of reuse and recyclability throughout their life cycles. We’re looking for the next circular designers of the future. There are four industry themes:

Packaging

Packaging is essential for food and product safety. Still, the demand for it to be more environmentally friendly is at an all-time high.
To reduce waste, we must focus on limiting single-use plastic products and designing optimized packaging solutions without compromising quality and security.
Focusing on plastic reuse and recycling for all packaging solutions is fundamental in the industry’s shift to circularity. What’s your idea for the three Rs in packaging? (Reduce, reuse, recycle)

Electronics

When electronic devices reach EOL or end-of-life, we want to circulate their use by turning used plastics into a valuable resource.
This category recognizes designs of electronic products that can be easily disassembled, remanufactured, reused, and recycled to reduce waste.
Do you have the skills to help us bring the future of electronics full circle?

Healthcare

The recent pandemic was a global wake-up call regarding the necessity of accessible healthcare and hygiene and wellness.
Optimizing the performance of health and hygiene products, most of which are made from polymers such as plastics, is a major focus in the industry.
Products like diapers and insulin pens create key challenges in the disassembly and post-treatment process to be both sustainable and functional.
We’re looking for those who can design with high-performance and eco-friendly materials to build advanced solutions for a competitive edge. How will you encourage sustainable consumer behavior?

Transportation

Fostering sustainability in the automotive industry primarily involves reducing the carbon footprint it produces. Traditional assembly lines require significant use of energy, metals, plastics, and manpower.
Automobile companies must also address evolving customer preferences and megatrends, such as connectivity, autonomous driving, car sharing, and electrification. All of which is changing the industry in every possible way.
We’re recognizing high-performance vehicle designs that reevaluate the engineering and manufacturing stages to generate minimal waste and leave a smaller carbon footprint – all while still adhering to changing safety requirements and standards.

Only one design will be allowed per applicant.

Evaluation Criteria

➜ Uniqueness & creativity of idea
➜ Innovative use of plastics
➜ Potential sustainability impact
➜ Value to the end user (incl. aesthetics)

Eligibility

This challenge is open to all professional and student designers over the age of 18. In order to enter as a Student, you must be actively enrolled in an academic program or at an educational Institution. All other applicants may apply under the Professional segment.