Upcycling.
An intriguing-sounding word, but one you’ve probably never heard before.
If that is what you thought, it has nothing to do with bicycling, motorcycles, or something else.
Upcycling is the process of taking something that is no longer in use and giving it a second life and a new function.
The finished product often becomes more practical and beautiful than it was before. But this is not recycling, to be clear. Actually, let us just jump in and see what this upcycling is all about.
Up, not re-cycling
Just to reiterate, upcycling is not the same thing as recycling. Recycling takes consumer materials such as paper, plastic, metal, and glass and breaks them down so that their base materials can be remade into a new consumer product, which is often of lesser quality.
But when you are upcycling an item, you are not breaking down the materials. You may be refashioning it, like cutting a T-shirt into strips of cloth, but it is still made of the same materials as when you first began.
Additionally, the upcycled item is typically of better or at least the same quality as the original.
Candidates for upcycling can be something you currently have in the house, something you acquired as a hand-me-down, or something you purchased from a retail outlet.
Think of it like this: recycling is reusing, and upcycling is about repurposing. Believe it or not, upcycling spans quite a few areas of daily life; you can even find out more about upcycle fashion and learn some amazing facts.
All you need to do is look around a bit, and you will quickly learn how much beauty and character you can get out of things that have already been around for a while.
Benefits
So why is upcycling actually good? Why should we even try?
Well, the first benefit is that less material makes its way to landfills, where waste builds into literal mountains. Another benefit is using fewer natural resources, as by using what we already have, we do not have to take away any more raw materials from our environment than is absolutely necessary.
This can even apply to small businesses and larger corporations.
For example, if you own a business and are looking to upcycle for your organization, it will actually help minimize the cost of production in addition to decreasing your usage of natural materials.
By repurposing previously used materials, you will find yourself spending less while actually increasing your profit margin.
What can be upcycled?
Well, practically anything can be a suitable candidate. If you think creatively, you can turn any sort of trash into treasure, and it is actually quite a lot easier than you may assume at first. Old glass jars can be used for food storage, egg cartons can start off seeds for your garden, and old T-shirts can be used as dishcloths, to name a few examples.
An old, worn-out toothbrush can find a new purpose in cleaning hard-to-reach areas or even shoes or boots.
Find innovative ways to repurpose items around your home to save money while creating something that is not only functional but also enjoyable.
There is no real risk in messing around and experimenting, as you are merely using your own property that is already past its initial usefulness.
Shopping from upcyclers
This one is pretty easy, for obvious reasons. If you do not feel super confident in your DIY upcycling abilities, do not sweat it, as there are plenty of businesses that will do the work for you.
You can find shops for beauty using upcycled ingredients in skincare products, for example.
There are quite a few brands that offer upcycled clothing, and every time you shop from one of these, you are supporting a more sustainable industry while also proving to retailers that there is a demand for upcycled items of every kind.
What to consider?
As previously mentioned, upcycling aims to prevent materials and resources from ending up in landfills.
Before rolling up your sleeves and getting to work, you should consider a few things first. Choose projects that are going to have the best positive impact on the environment while also being the most beneficial and useful thing for you that you can imagine.
It does not take much to change a lot, and we are all capable of great change.
Upcycling is probably one of the best places you can start to set out on your journey toward more sustainability and practicality, as you repurpose and reinvent things into new fantastical shapes and forms you would never have considered. All you need to do is take the first step.
