The Difference Between Upcycling and Recycling

Upcycling involves taking a useless or broken down item and turning it into something that is useful or more valuable. The concept of upcycling was first popularized in 1997, when Gunter Pauli wrote a book called "The Upcycling Concept". Since then, there have been several other titles written on the subject, including McDonough and Braungart's "Cradel to Cradle: Remaking the Way We make Things", which was published in 2002. Why Upcycle? Upcycling is something that artists have done for many years. The Amish make quilts out of salvaged fabrics, and Marcel Duchamp made a career out of turning humble household items into fine art. The idea of upcycling to make household decorations and functional items is relatively recent, however. Today, upcycling is popular in part because it is environmentally friendly, and also because it allows people to make attractive and unique pieces of furniture for a fraction of the price of buying new. Upcycling vs. Recycling

Technically upcycling is a form of recycling in which the item is upgraded, improved, or turned into something more useful. What most people think of as being recycling is really a practice that is known as "downcycling", in which an item is broken down into its component parts so that those materials can be used for something else. Downcycling is a time and labour intensive process, and it has a lot of problems. With traditional recycling, each time the item is recycled the quality of the materials degrades slightly. This means that, for example, a recycled plastic water bottle cannot be used to make a new water bottle, but instead is used for non-food related plastic items. Eventually, the recycled item will become trash - recycling simply makes the process from raw material to trash take a little longer, reducing the cost of the materials. Upcycling, on the other hand, allows the re-use of a product without degrading the material that it is made from. This is better from an environmental point of view, because it reduces the need for new virgin materials and makes the materials that are already in the waste stream last a lot longer. When the upcycled item breaks down or is no longer wanted, the next user has the option of either upcycling or recycling the old item however they please. Creative Upcycling Ideas Anyone can try their hand at upcycling, you do not have to be talented with a needle or a saw to make some great household items out of old trash. You can start with simple projects, such as turning an old t-shirt into a peg bag, making a dog bed out of some old cushions and a battered suitcase, or turning an old door into a stylish table. As you gain confidence, you can work on more sophisticated upcycling projects; making storage solutions, or making lamps or even phone-charging stations out of old items. The only limit to what you can do with upcycling is your own imagination.