What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the act of creating something new from old materials to give the item a second chance and reduce the odds of it ending up in landfills.

1. What’s the difference between recycling and upcycling?

When recycling is the process of breaking down raw materials and turning it into their base materials and then remade into a new product. Upcycling is a method where old or often discarded materials at hand can be transformed into a new product without the process of breaking it down to raw elements.

2. How does upcycling benefit the planet?

 As more and more people are getting into the upcycling movement, either as an outlet for their creativity or just as a way to live more sustainably, we cannot deny the obvious advantage that it can contribute to our environment.

Upcycling can save material from landfills, when fast fashion is on the rise with clothing designs  coming and going at a fast pace, garments are often worn once and then discarded when they do not fit the status quo anymore. Many of these articles of clothing can get upcycle, turn into something new with a personal touch and can be enjoyed over time. Another benefit of upcycling is it reduces the use of natural resources, no new materials are used, limiting the cost and labor use to make these pieces.

3. What can we use to upcycle? 

The definition of upcycle is to create something new from old materials, so the possibilities are endless, all it takes is a little bit of creativity and craftiness! 

One of the more popular items for upcycling is clothes and textiles, it is a great place to start with more than enough information on the internet with a click of a button, many suggestions can be helpful for what you are looking for without too much of a hassle. Upcycling your clothes can range from completely altering the garment into something new for you to wear, or you can modify it into a household object that serves a completely different purpose.

Upcycling plastics is another way to reuse plastic, plastic bottles can be decorated and used as a plant pot or a birdfeeder, they can be also used as containers and  pencil cases as well.