Upcycling: what is the meaning and how to adhere to fashion

Upcycling proposes the reuse of old objects. Technique allows you to exercise creativity and save the environment

"Upcycled bug" by JailBird is licensed under CC BY 2.0

what is upcycling

Although not a new practice, as it is very common during economically uncertain times, upcycling has recently become fashionable in the sustainable world. The upcycling technique consists of creatively giving a new and better purpose to a material that would be discarded without degrading the quality and composition of the material. An item that has been upcycled is usually of equal or better quality than its original.

The practice reduces the amount of waste produced that would spend years in landfills. In addition, upcycling reduces the need to explore raw materials to generate new products. In the case of plastic, this means less exploited oil, fewer trees felled in the case of wood and, in the case of metal, less mining. All of this also has significant savings in water and energy, used both in the exploitation of natural resources and in recycling, although in less quantity in the latter case. The practice of upcycling is one of the great examples of the Circular Economy, which proposes that waste be used as an input for the production of new products.

Sometimes upcycling may be the only sustainable option for a material, as is the case with BOPP plastic. According to the article "What is BOPP? Are BOPP packages reusable?", due to the difficulties of recycling the material, upcycling is one of the best options for destination. Learn more in the article "Upcycle is a creative option to provide a solution for packaging made with BOPP".

Upcycle in the market

In addition to being ecologically correct, upcycling (which is the process of upcycling some object or material) is emerging as an excellent business opportunity. Cavalera, for example, launched a line with more than 50 models of bags and wallets made from used cement bags. There are artisans who make earrings and jewelry with used coffee capsules, integrating the residue into the Creative Economy.

In London, the novelty is already in universities. THE London College of Fashion since 2007, it has had a sector that studies upcycling as one of the alternatives for the fashion world and also has government support.

Present in Brazil since 2010, the American company TerraCycle, founded in 2001, bets on upcycling as a way to conserve the planet and has already collected more than three billion wastes around the world, using them to create bags, umbrellas, notebooks, among other green products. All items collected by the project are materials that would not be disposed of properly for recycling, that is, they would end up in dumps and landfills.

In addition to reducing the amount of debris to be discarded, upcycling contributes to the reduction of pollutants generated in the creation of new objects. And the possibilities are endless. Studio Bike Furniture Design, from Michigan, USA, transforms bicycle parts into modern and irreverent furniture. Just take a look at what they do and get inspired to, you too, upcycle that object that is already worn out or that you no longer like.

To see upcycle examples, check out the article "16 upcycle examples for decoration".



$config[zx-auto] not found$config[zx-overlay] not found