The cool of upcycling

You’ve heard of recycling. How about upcycling? It means to take waste and make it into something better. The term was first used in Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. While recycling transforms waste into useful by products of a lower grade usually, upcycling moves it to the display cabinet; and it isn’t cheesy crafts made from discards that you know you would not put on show.


They are as chic as designer ware! Upcycling isn’t exactly a new idea; remember the patchwork blanket Mum used to make? That’s classic upcycling. Etsy is a great place to shop for such items. Notty Pooch makes wallets, MacBook sleeves and planters from discarded billboard banners. Get great ideas from Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have (by Danny Seo and Jennifer Levy) and The Repurposed Library: 33 Craft Projects That Give Old Books New Life (by Lisa Occhipinti). Both are available in Kinokuniya KLCC.