What Is Upcycling?
Upcycling. Sounds like a crazy, made-up word, right? Well, I guess it is, in a way. Right up there with ginormous, eco-friendly and proactive. I mean, really, how can one be pro active? That’s a little like being pro-walking, isn’t it? Or pro-living? But that’s my own issue, I guess…
Anyway, upcycling is like recycling. But upcycling takes recycling to a whole new level. It's taking something that you would otherwise throw away and finding a new purpose for it. Upcycling takes waste and makes it into something that has an equal or greater value, extending its usefulness. "But isn't that the same as recycling?" you ask. Well, no as it turns out.
The term “upcycling” was first coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.McDonough and Braungart’s ground-breaking book compared upcycling to the idea that recycling plastic was really "downcycling." According to McDonough and Braungart, downcycling reduces the quality of the materials, while upcycling increases the value of the materials. I know, sounds confusing. So I went looking for some examples to illustrate my point, and found quite a few silly ones. Things like taking a broken stapler and turning it into a paper weight or wrapping a used soup can in contact paper and calling it a pencil holder. Geeeeee, that’s so innovative. Not that that isn’t a cute idea. So cute, in fact, that I’m pretty sure I DIY’d a soup can in the 1990’s when I got my first grown-up desk.
Upcycling has been practiced for centuries by those who traditionally did not have the resources to go out and buy something new whenever they wanted. Think hand-me-downs that were turned into doll clothes and quilts when they were worn out and then into oven mitts and stuffing for throw pillows after that. The idea is, just keep repurposing and reusing, and eventually, you will use it all up. Likewise, factories are known to employ (no pun intended) cutting-edge upcycling techniques to eliminate waste and increase profits. One example, grain processors routinely burn waste materials like corn husks to power manufacturing plants. And there are others, ranging from turning a used car into an incubator, repurposing stereo equipment into art or turning used airplane parts into furniture. But there’s more to it than that, even.
We need to start thinking about upcycling as a way to really reduce the amount of trash we’re hauling to the landfill. We need to start thinking about upcycling before we make purchases. Example: You’re buying a new computer, so what are you going to do with the old one? What will you do with this new computer when you upgrade again in two or three years? Turn it into a neat aquarium for your bedroom, not throw it into a landfill, I hope.
Upcycling is a process in which disposable or discarded items are repurposed to make them valuable, useful, or simply aesthetically pleasing. Upcycling works in opposition to consumer culture by encouraging people to think of new ways to use things. Instead of simply buying something new, promote reuse whenever possible. All neat art and home furnishing businesses aside, everyone can upcycle, which is part of the appeal. Do you love garage sales and thrift stores? There’s an upcycling opportunity on every aisle. Upcycling is a philosophy, a way of living that takes into account not only what you have or will have, but where it will be when you’ve finished with it. No more “throwing it out” without caring where “it” goes. Upcycling is a responsibility we all share, to make sure we leave a clean, safe world for the future. It’s frugality in action. And isn’t that a great lesson to teach our kids?
