Tapatón 2026 brings together the Polytechnic community and sets a record of 475 kg of plastic bottle caps collected

On 9 July, ESPOL’s Faculty of Art, Design and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM) held the latest edition of the Tapatón, a day dedicated to sustainability and community involvement that brought together more than 1,000 members of the polytechnic community with the aim of promoting the recycling of plastic bottle caps and raising environmental awareness.

Throughout the day, students, lecturers, administrative staff and visitors took part in recreational activities, competitions and interactive sessions designed to encourage the collection of plastic bottle caps. Highlights included rides on the Gusanito tourist train, an exchange stall organised in collaboration with the Tweening Club, an exchange of portraits drawn by lecturer Billy Soto in exchange for plastic bottle caps, and a bingo game organised in partnership with the FADCOM Students’ Association.

The event also featured ‘Preguntados Politécnicos’, a session during which prizes were awarded to the classes that achieved the best results in the collection campaign. For the second year running, the Structures and Mechanisms II class, led by lecturer Karla Caicedo, took first place by collecting 117 kg of plastic bottle caps.

Second place went to the ‘Materials and Manufacturing II’ course led by lecturer Andy Rodríguez, with approximately 67 kg, whilst third place went to the ‘Art and Technology’ course led by Jacqueline Mejía, with 52 kg. In total, Tapatón 2026 managed to collect 475 kg of plastic bottle caps, the highest figure achieved since the initiative began.

All the material will be handed over to the company Ecohome, which will transform it into recycled raw material to be used in the development of prototypes for FADCOM’s Product Design degree programme, thereby promoting a circular economy model within the university.

The event was supported by a number of partner companies. Big Cola was the official sponsor of the day, providing the community with its products throughout the day. Similarly, Domino’s Pizza and Grupo KFC Ecuador provided prizes for attendees and the winners of the various activities. Through initiatives such as the Tapatón, FADCOM continues to promote spaces where sustainability, creativity and collaborative work come together to make an environmental impact and foster the development of a community committed to caring for the environment.