What Does Upcycling Mean?
Upcycling has become front-and-center as climate change has become a front-line issue for more and more governments and citizens. The stigma around using second-hand garments has faded and big designers are featuring upcycling in their most recent collections. This is really good news for the environment!
What does upcycling actually mean and why should I care about it?
The official definition of upcycling is:
to reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or
value than the original.
A great example of this would be turning second-hand jeans into a jacket or taking fabric scraps from the cutting room floor and sewing them into a new garment. When you upcycle something, you end up with an end product of higher value than the original item and it maintains the integrity of the original material.
The benefits of upcycling
Reusing materials that already exist takes far less energy and resources than using new materials.
The benefits of upcycling include resource conservation, saving energy, and saving landfill space. When you buy or create an upcycled product made from discarded materials, you are directly offsetting the water and energy needed to make new materials from scratch to produce the same product. And in the process you are helping to conserve resources.
How to get started upcycling
Want to start upcycling and don't know where to begin? Check out my FREE GUIDE to Finding Upcycled Materials and my Quick Hack for Deconstructing Jeans.
I also offer an online masterclass to help give you the tools to successfully launch and scale your idea for an upcycled apparel or accessories brand. Check out Upcycle Design Masterclass to get started!
FREE GUIDE to Finding Upcycled Materials
How to Find Upcycled Materials and NOT Get Lost in the Process
"Noor's List": 25 + sources from around the world to find UPCYCLED materials
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