Upcycling is a new term for me
By Canellita
@Canellita (12029)
United States
May 15, 2010 1:32pm CST
So was looking through some empty titles in the Helium How To section and I came across one on felting a wool sweater for an upcycling project. The word is so new spell checker thinks I have just made a typing error!
I thought, 'I know about recycling, what the heck is upcycling?' And no, I was not thinking of riding a bike up and incline...
I typed the word in Google and apparently upcycling is recycling that does not require any energy use. If you remake something by hand without electricity or fossil fuels you are upcycling.
Heck I do that all the time and I didn't even know it!
6 responses
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
16 May 10
Are you serious? Is downcycling a real term or is that the term for the inbetween? You can't tell me these words without explanations. I get so confused over the recycling. I either recycle or freecycle. Freecycle is when you give away what you cannot use.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
16 May 10
You mean like downcycling? Like when a plastic bottle that can't be used to create a new bottle is recycled into a table?
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
17 May 10
I just told you what it meant!
-Recycling often uses energy and fossil fuels so it is not always green.
-Upcycling is when you take a fleece blanket that you no longer use as a blanket and make a stuffed toy or draft dodger from it.
-downcycling is when you have something like a plastic bottle that has a code that keeps it from being reused as a plastic bottle for foodstuff (think motor oil bottle) so it gets turned into some other plastic based thing.
Look at my redgage links from the last couple days. I shared a link to the article.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
31 May 10
I thought upcycling was using something for something else. Like a sweater sleeve for a wrist band or a turtle neck part of a shirt for a neck warmer instead of a scarf.
@Autumnrose2008 (1478)
• United States
15 May 10
Whoo Hooo me too. Now I can come back to my daughter with that when I take a few extra minutes in the shower some mornings. Thanks for that info. I like to learn new things and I think thats gonna be my new thing for the day. Have a great day. 
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
16 May 10
U2! I found the article on greenlivingtips (add the .com) Who new there was such a thing as upcycling and downcycling? I am now curious as to how many times something can be downcycled.
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
15 May 10
I used to do this all the time too. I used to make folders out of old newspapers and cartolinas for my files when I was in gradeschool. I didn't want to trouble my parents into buying me a brand new folder so I just made my own. I didn't know they had term for that. "Upcycling" it is.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
16 May 10
That is so cool that you made your own folders in grade school! It's even more cool that you made them out of old newspaper! Did you line the inside so your school workd would not get dirty?
@sagar21 (1579)
• India
15 May 10
yep,I too have heard several "cycling" variations-Recycling, freecycling, precycling - now upcycling and downcycling
Why can't we use the umbrella term recycling?Because as you said they all vary.
I also upcycled some waste materials from my workplace to useful products
Everyone can upcycle...Participate in it..Don't waste anything!!
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
16 May 10
I am an artist and I am very big on reusing stuff that is not biodegradable I just never knew there were all these terms for it!
@ericpapasit (1274)
• Philippines
16 May 10
Thanks for the info..! another additional to my vocabulary hope I'll not forget it.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
16 May 10
I know I won't forget it anytime soon, LOL. Glad to be bale to contribute to your expanding vocabulary! I am very big on literacy.
