Upcycling is the process of taking used materials and turning them into something new. This could be anything from turning an old pair of jeans into a skirt, making old t-shirts into tote bags or building a house out of discarded glass bottles. This is a popular green craft area but also crosses over into furniture creation and building. Some examples of upcycled products:
- all forms of old clothing turned into new clothing
- skateboards turned into furniture
- purses made from juice drink pouches
- bags made from old sailboat sails
The term upcycling was created by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart in their book about eco-friendly design called Cradle to Cradle. The benefit of upcycling is that is diverts materials from landfills and reduces the need for virgin materials at the same time.
Photo Credit: upcycled denim potholder by sassycrafter on flickr
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