To recycle is to send that product or material into a new lifecycle. To downcycle an item is to repurpose it into something of lesser quality or value. To upcycle a product is to transmute it into an object of potentially greater value or usefulness.
Different people upcycle for various reasons. For some, it’s a passion; for others, a business. In any case, there are a few benefits in store for anyone who wants to start upcycling.
Many people do it because they love to create something new from something at the end of its usefulness
Upcycling empowers us to reduce waste, contribute less to landfills, and lower our continuous need to consume brand-new products.
Effective upcycling means looking not just for the value something holds in its present role and lifecycle but the potential value it could offer in a new one.
One great thing about creating things from scrap that you might otherwise discard is that there’s not much harm in things going awry.