It’s National Upcycling Day, a day to celebrate the art of transforming something old into something new. If you’re not familiar with upcycling, today’s post looks at what it is and how it can be a better option than reusing or recycling. Plus, I’ve got a list of creative upcycling ideas to get you started.

I’ve written before about reusing and recycling and the 5 Rs of waste reduction, but upcycling puts a new and creative twist on waste reduction.

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is the art of taking something you already have and turning it into something new and useful. It’s about giving new life to items that might otherwise end up in landfill.

In some ways, upcycling is a form of reuse. However, instead of simply reusing things for their original function, upcycling gives them a new life and a new purpose. For example, you could use those glass jars to store more food, or you could instead use them as drinking glasses, or soap dispensers. With upcycling, anything goes!

How is upcycling different than recycling or just reusing?

When you send goods to be recycled they go through an industrial process to be broken down and turned into something new. While it’s definitely a better alternative to landfill, recycling uses energy and generates emissions. Plus, most recycled items are of lesser quality than the original—that’s why you may hear recycling referred to as downcycling. And, there’s a limit to the number of times most materials can be recycled.

Upcycling, on the other hand, involves repurposing items in their current state. The cool thing about that is they retain their original characteristics and the history behind the item.

What are some creative upcycling ideas?

I readily admit, I’m not really into DIY. I can be creative and crafty with simple things but, as soon as something gets complicated, I’m out.

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ve put together a list of some upcycling ideas. The list includes simple things you can easily do yourself, and some more complicated ideas where you’ll probably need to get some help. I’ve also included some examples of innovative upcycled products on the market.

Simple stuff you can do yourself

• Turn an old pair of shoes or boots into a planter.
• Turn greeting cards into gift tags.
• Paint or wrap tin cans and use them as pencil holders.
• Paint or wrap a shoe box and use it as a memory box.
• Cut up old t-shirts and turn them into cleaning rags or reusable cotton makeup remover pads.
• Use mason jars or other empty jars as drinking glasses.
• Add a soap pump top to a glass jar and use it as a liquid soap dispenser.
• Use egg cartons to start seeds for your garden.
• Repurpose yogurt or other plastic containers to organize drawers.
• If you’re handy with a needle and thread, or sewing machine, you can turn old clothes into new items like tote bags. Or you can use them to patch and repair other clothing items.
• Cut up milk bags (yes, in Canada we buy milk in plastic bags) and weave them into sleeping mats. When my daughters were young, they made sleeping mats as a service project with our church youth group.

Things you might need some help with

• Turn old t-shirts into quilts, throw pillows or wall art. This is a great use for old concert t-shirts, and school spirit wear shirts that no longer fit.
• Reupholster or refinish old furniture instead of sending it to landfill. When we were first married, my mother-in-law wanted us to have this old chair from my husband’s grandparents’ house. I really didn’t want it at the time. After we had it reupholstered, I loved it and wished I had another one to match it.

• And one of the most ingenious ideas I’ve seen was putting confetti into jewellery. My daughter found someone on Etsy who made this bracelet out of the confetti we gathered up at an Elton John concert a few years ago.  

Companies that are getting creative with upcycling

There are also many innovative companies out there doing amazing things with recycled plastic water bottles. In Green innovations you’ll want to know about, I shared examples of companies making purses, wallets, shoes, and t-shirts out of recycled water bottles. For her birthday last month, my daughter got these work gloves that are made out of recycled water bottles. Another excellent example of creative upcycling!

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What are the benefits of upcycling?

Upcycling is a great way to promote a sustainable lifestyle, and it has many benefits for us and our planet.

• Upcycling cuts down on the amount of waste going to landfill.
• It saves our natural resources by reducing the extraction of new raw materials, and requiring less energy than recycling materials.
• Turning old items into something permanent preserves the memories and history behind the original item.
• Upcycling saves you money by limiting the need to buy new goods.
• Finally, upcycling creates something unique. If you upcycle an item into a piece of art, you can be sure no-one else will have one just the same.

The next time you’re ready to throw an item in the garbage, ask yourself if there’s any way it can be upcycled into something new. You may be thrilled with the results.

What creative upcycling ideas have you heard? Tell me about them below.