Baywatch – Collect the Piece, Read the Trace, Change the System

The Baywatch project explores how plastic waste ends up in our environment and what role industrial design can play in building more circular systems. Under the guidance of Stefan Diez, students take a piece of plastic found on the beach, examine how it was made and what it's made of, and use those findings to develop three design strategies that could help prevent this kind of waste from occurring in the first place. The project makes a compelling case for design as a force for social change — and a hands-on contribution to a more sustainable, circular economy.