Upcycling vs Recycling: What’s the difference?
You may have wondered about upcycling vs recycling and if you have, this is the post you’ve been looking for!!
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The amount of waste that we make globally is pretty scary!
222.2 million tonnes of waste was generated in the UK in 2018, with England responsible for 84% of the total, and only around 44% of that is recycled.
Since becoming more interested in sustainability I often wonder about both processes and whether recycling is sustainable long term.
So, in this post, I will talk a bit more about upcycling vs recycling and the benefits of both.
Upcycling vs Recycling: What’s the difference?
What is the difference between upcycling and recycling?
The terms recycling and upcycling are often used interchangeably but both processes are unrelated and have very different meanings.
Recycling is a process where old materials are broken down into raw materials and converted into new products. Upcycling takes old materials and repurposes them into new more valuable products, without breaking them down.
The process of upcycling aims to keep the original form of the product while the recycling process usually involves altering the material and form of the product.
I dug a little deeper…
What is upcycling?
The term upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming a waste material, or an unwanted old product into one with a higher value.
Although the phrase ‘upcycling’ was coined in 1994 by German engineer Reiner Pliz, upcycling has been practised since the 1800s and is even more popular today. It’s such a great method of zero-waste and circular economy.
The goal is for us to find a new purpose for old and unwanted products by upcycling old materials into new ones. Upcycling is also a great way to showcase the creativity and resourcefulness that we have.
Benefits of upcycling
There are so many benefits of upcycling:
- Upcycling reduces the amount of waste that ends up in the environment and landfill. It also protects the environment and helps reduce carbon emissions and water pollution associated with the production of new products.
- Upcycling reduces the demand for raw materials and uses less energy to create new products. This helps to preserve raw, natural and new resources being used.
- Upcycling promotes sustainability by extending the life of an existing product and giving them the chance for a second life.
- Upcycling allows for creativity and innovation. So many brands now only use upcycled materials, which in turn will reduce the costs for these businesses. Not forgetting the jobs that these businesses will create, all in all, a great upside to upcycling.
Examples of upcycling
We can actually repurpose so many items, we just need to start thinking outside the box.
So, how can you give an old item or something you don’t want anymore a new life? Here are some ideas…
Furniture: Old furniture and discarded materials can be upcycled into new furniture items. Like turning wooden pallets into chic garden furniture or repurposing old wine or whiskey barrels into the most beautiful coffee tables or even ice baths!! I’ve included some examples from Pinterest here:
Clothing: Old t-shirts can be upcycled into rags or new fashion items. There are even some fashion brands that only use old clothes for their materials and create brand-new original pieces. Old jeans have even been upcycled to create the coolest and most unique bags! See some Pinterest inspo I have found below:
Household items: Items like glass bottles or jars can be created into new items like candle holders or a vase for some flowers, you just have to have some imagination! I have even included this old bicycle which has been repurposed into planters so you can see how some people have upcycled their old items.
My favourite example is reusing old paper bags for wrapping paper and turning old cardboard boxes into storage containers. The local church near me was collecting tins for the food banks over advent this year, so I asked my sons to decorate a cardboard box to collect his food items. That was our best upcycle this year, such a great activity to share with my kids.
What is recycling?
When I was younger, I didn’t even know what recycling was but most of us are now lucky enough to have a recycling bin outside our houses. The goal of recycling is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the environment and reduces the demand for new materials.
If you’re not sure what recycling entails, it is an industrial process of collecting, sorting and processing waste materials at a recycling centre. The original materials are broken down into their raw form and then used to create new products.
Recycling is super important for protecting the environment as it helps to conserve raw, finite and natural resources. Materials that are mostly recycled are things like plastic bottles, glass, paper, metal and electronics.
Benefits of recycling
Recycling has many benefits:
- Recycling lowers the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need to extract and process raw materials. This helps to conserve the planet’s natural resources like water and forests.
- Recycling reduces the amount of waste that ends up in the environment and landfills.
- Recycling can create jobs in industries like the collection, sorting and processing of recyclable materials. This can have great economic benefits as it helps to reduce waste management costs.
Examples of recycling
- Old cardboard boxes, newspapers and other types of paper are made into new paper products.
- If we recycle plastic bottles, shopping bags and other plastic products they can be recycled into new products. Plastic bottles can also be made into new materials for clothes! And I bet you’ve seen brands promoting ‘recycled polyester’.
- Textile waste can be recycled into rags or natural fabrics like linen can be used again to create materials for new items of clothing.
- We can compost food waste and turn it into nutrient-rich soil for gardening and agriculture.
So, which is more eco-friendly?
Upcycling vs recycling, now that is the question.
I think from what I have read and written about, both recycling and upcycling are great ways to keep waste out of landfills but unfortunately, recycling is not enough. There is just too much recycling to process and we are still consuming way too many resources.
Did you know that only 9% of plastics are actually recycled? (Source: 101 ways to go zero waste) This is such a small amount compared to what we consume!!
If we upcycle or repurpose items that can be given a second life we prevent waste from going into a landfill. Although, if my item is at the end of its life and cannot be reused or upcycled then it’s a better option to recycle it over throwing it away.
So, for me upcycling (where possible) is defo the more eco-friendly option.
Next time you want to throw something away, I want you to remember to think about whether you can use your creativity and imagination and repurpose it into something more valuable.
Go on, I bet you can!!
