Could something old, used or even dirty be something beautiful waiting to be reborn?

What’s up with upcycling?

Upcycling may be a new and trendy term in the green community, but you’ve probably already been doing it without knowing you were.  Every time you used a piece of trash for a cute craft project or chose to turn your old jeans into a cute, bedazzled new jean skirt, you were actually upcycling.

What’s the Difference?

Recycling – is giving a product or a recyclable material another life cycle by using it again for the same or a similar purpose, for example, using the paper pulp from scrap paper to make new recycle paper products.

Upcycling – is giving a product or a recyclable material another life cycle by using it in a new, sometimes even better way, for example, turning plastic tetra packs and juice boxes into fashionable handbags and totes.

So why does upcycling have the coolest greenies all a buzz?  This is because just like recycling, it prevents materials from ending up in the trash and eventually in landfills.  It also uses that earth’s resources better, wasting less, because product makers don’t need to make as many new products from the earth’s raw materials.