José Luis Castro, Mgtr., a communications analyst at ESPOL’s Faculty of Art, Design and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM), took part in International Design Week at the University of Palermo, Argentina, where he presented the ‘Alquimia Plástica’ project, a university initiative that combines design, recycling and community involvement through the ‘Tapatón’.
During his presentation at the Social and Sustainable Design Forum, Castro outlined the development of the Tapatón 2026 campaign, organised by FADCOM on 9 July. The event brought together more than 1,000 members of the polytechnic community and resulted in the collection of 475 kilograms of plastic bottle caps – the highest figure recorded since the initiative’s inception.
The project promotes the circular economy by collecting bottle caps, which are subsequently transformed into reusable sheets for use in academic projects and the development of prototypes within the Product Design degree programme. As well as helping to reduce plastic waste, the ‘Tapatón’ incorporates participatory and educational activities that strengthen environmental awareness and collaborative work within the university community. This experience demonstrates how design can transform an everyday action into a process with environmental, social and educational impact.
In the afternoon, José Luis Castro took part in a forum for design schools, where he exchanged views with representatives from the academic world on the current state of design education and the challenges it faces in the face of technological change. Among the topics discussed were virtual learning and artificial intelligence, as well as their implications for teaching and learning processes and for the training of future professionals.
On the morning of 15 October, Castro held a meeting with Óscar Echeverría, Mgtr., Dean of the Faculty of Graphic Design at the University of Palermo. During the meeting, they discussed potential inter-institutional relationships and opportunities for collaboration in various areas of mutual interest to both institutions.
José Luis Castro’s participation in these events provided an opportunity to share a social design initiative developed at ESPOL, exchange perspectives on the contemporary challenges facing design education, and explore opportunities for international academic cooperation.
© Photography: Courtesy.
