The Process of Upcycling and its key Benefits

Posted by nancypetrson on September 5th, 2019

Upcycling is not only just the practice of transforming old things into the new ones, but it is the process of imparting a new life into a well-used and beautiful items. It provides them with a new story or a personality, by creating something new out of the old ones, which can be useful, functional and loved by all.

However, there is a slight difference between recycling and upcycling. Recycling is the process of taking the waste out, involving consumer materials like plastic, paper, metal or glass. It involves breaking them down and finally turning them into a reusable product. For example an empty plastic soda bottle, which is a waste product, can be used as a planter for flowers or herbs. While on other side, upcycling involves turning an unwanted material into a better quality product. For example fabulously original and unique upcycled handbags can be made out from leather boots or even suit jackets.

You can also save money while cutting your suit jacket and reusing them in the strategic places on your upcycled handbags. Our ancestors encouraged the idea that they should do what they can to prolong a products life, something core to the purpose of upcycling. Upcycling has been involved in one or the other form throughout the history. Even today, in developing and war stricken countries, people upcycle items to preserve and maintain their level of normality.  A slow economy has led to an increased awareness of environmental responsibilities and from that it gave birth to the upcycling culture that we see today. Anyone can take up an upcycling project, save money and create beautiful innovative and bespeaking items, while at the same time helping to save the planet.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF UPCYCLING

Nowadays, many brands and designers are making cool stuff from old and unwanted stuff. There are plenty of items that were once en-routed to landfill but have been reclaimed by some very creative people who are giving these stuffs a new life. For example, old wine bottles can be transformed into candles or a durable material like firehose can be turned into a sustainably luxe accessories.

Our planet is already running low on natural resources, so it would be a huge help on the environment when people use old items to create new ones. Like it takes huge volume to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt. Hence, upcycling existing resources is a great way to save our natural resources as we will not have to use any new raw materials in the production process then.

THE SOCIAL BENEFITS OF UPCYCLING

One of the social and economic benefits of upcycling is that it supports small local businesses as well as rural village industries. For example, many of the products like upcycled purses and bags that we carry are made by artisans from small communities in Vietnam, India and Mexico.

These artisans use their traditional craft skills to produce innovative and unique upcycled purses and bags like items which can be sold in a global marketplace. This benefits the people in the developing world, giving them an opportunity to earn for their families through these businesses.

If designers will make items from the reclaimed materials, this will drastically reduce their manufacturing costs. Many of the businesses offer old items at zero or minimal cost which can be transformed into awesome products.

THE PERSONAL BENEFITS OF UPCYCLING

Repairing an old item and giving it a new life is a great skill and a wonderful feeling that you have created something new which is completely unique. Every upcycled item is one of a kind and has a beautiful history behind it which makes it fantastic for a gifting purpose as well.