Upcycling: nothing is lost, everything is transformed!

What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is a responsible, ethical concept with a positive impact on the environment. It is an emerging practice in the circular economy , in a few words upcycling is recovering unused materials or products and giving them a new life , a new use by creating new quality products with them.
The French translation of the word “upcycling” is surcyclage, recycling from above .

What is the difference with recycling?

The main difference is that recycling involves a transformation through an industrial process that most of the time includes an expenditure of energy and/or water. Whereas with upcycling the original material is not transformed but simply diverted in order to make something new.
In addition, with upcycling, the notion of added value brought to the final product comes into strong consideration. We produce objects whose quality will be superior to the original material. Upcycling has a more aesthetic aim than recycling.

Perfect examples of brands that excel in the upcycling approach: Sealand Gear , which recovers sailboat canvas to make ultra-resistant bags with a unique design, or Otxangoa and its pretty espadrilles made from end-of-life denim canvas.

The positive effects of upcycling on the environment:

The principle of upcycling is to reuse an existing material that would have been thrown away, thus saving energy and raw materials inherent in a material manufacturing process . It also avoids waste and reduces waste production.

Upcycling is the new Recycling!