Recycling is made up of two major components, downcycling and upcycling.
Downcycling is the process of converting materials into products of lesser market value, such as converting a mix, or hybrid, of plastics into lower-grade plastic. Upcycling, on the other hand, creates products of higher quality and value from existing waste materials. The latter method can be an appealing aspect of recycling, because it places emphasis on the aesthetic design process. The latter method is an appealing aspect of recycling, because it places emphasis on the aesthetic design process.
Here are some examples of how upcycling can be put into practice.
- Make a wallet from old car tyres.
- Use wood off-cuts to create whole pieces of furniture.
- Create laptop covers from old jumpers.
- Reuse pulp from newspapers as building insulation.
- Create jewellery and cufflinks from old typewriter or cash-register keys.
