Changemaker Challenge 2026

For this year's Changemaker Challenge, your task is to design a reuse system for takeaway food/drinks outlets in Portsmouth.

Reuse is a comprehensive system for the multiple rotations of specifically designed reusable packaging which remains within the ownership of the system and is loaned to the consumer. It is an essential pathway to improving plastic pollution in our environment, it reduces new plastic entering the economy by replacing single-use plastics with reusable items and supports the circulation of materials in the economy for longer.

Reuse represents a key opportunity to break free from the take-make-waste packaging economy. Reusable packaging can eliminate 80% of the climate impact of single-use packaging. One example is that 250 billion single-use coffee cups are used and discarded globally every year. A reuse system can help reduce this waste on a massive scale.  

Can you design a system to make waste packaging a thing of the past? Save your place at the Changemaker Challenge on 18 June 2026!

Location and meeting point

We'll meet on the Northern Quarter of our campus, near Richmond Building, Portland St, Portsmouth PO1 3DE. Look out for our students in purple T-shirts who'll help direct you.

If you're arriving by coach or minibus, we recommend parking on Museum Road, Portsmouth which is just outside of Ravelin Sports Centre.

Changemaker Challenge Programme

Here's what's coming up at our Changemaker Challenge event*:

• 9.30 - 10:00 - Arrival and networking
• 10: 00 - 10:30 - Task set by The Revolutions Plastics Institute
• 10:30 - 12:30 - Challenge begins!
• 12:35 - 12:55 - Lunch
• 13:00 - 14:30 - Continuation of challenge
• 14:40 - 15:20 - Presentations and feedback
• 15:20 - 15:30 - Judging and awards
• 15:30 - Wrap up and goodbye!

* Sessions may be subject to change