7 Things to Upcycle
March 6th, 2009 by Jane
Upcycling is a word coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart to refer to the process of using waste or cast-off materials to make something of greater value. These two brilliant people are working to inspire the design and engineering communities to rethink the way they design and do business. In their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, they explore how this can be done and why, for the good of our planet, we must shift our thinking and designing.
From McDonough: “I believe we can accomplish great and profitable things within a new conceptual framework—one that values our legacy, honors diversity, and feeds ecosystems and societies . . . It is time for designs that are creative, abundant, prosperous, and intelligent from the start.”
Here are a few suggestions for how we can accomplish this on an individual basis.
1. Clothes
Use your children’s baby clothes for a quilt. Or send your moth-eaten cashmere sweaters off to Teddylux Cashmere and have them make a snuggly teddy bear or elephant for someone you love.
2. Scrap Wood
Michael Yonke’s gorgeous furniture and design elements will make you rethink the possibilities of that small pile of wood behind your garage. I love the Diversion Coffee Table and I have the perfect spot for it! Or the Upcycling Flag. Fabulous!
3. Food to Compost
The ultimate in upcylcing! Do your part to help out the environment and pick a corner of your yard for a compost pile. Don’t garden? Check with your local community garden and see if you can donate your compost to their cause.
4. Cassette Tapes
Yes, cassette tapes-you know you still have a few lying around! Make these cute cassette tape coin purses and put your money where your music was!
5. Jewelry
You can repurpose some of your old jewelry into some fabulous updated pieces. Most independent jewelry stores will happily refashion your gold or silver jewelry into something more stylish. Or check out what some industrious designers do with plastic spoons and, bobby pins, plastic bottles and old phone cards. Touch is a design company that highlights recycled products by innovative designers.
6. Paper
Sure, you could throw your old phone books into the recycling dumpster, but you would be tossing away raw materials to make this fabulous dress! Wear it to a party and charge people for looking up phone numbers for them! Just don’t wear it in the rain.
7. Glass
Learn how to turn those lovely cobalt blue bottles into drinking glasses or vases. Or you could save all of your glass bottles and build a temple. Don’t think of it as work, think how much fun it will be to drink all of that wine!
April 29th, 2009 at 3:28 am
More than 7 ideas and even complete step by steps on how and what we have found so far to upcycle