Nissan LEAF: Long-Term Test (Part 1)
November 13, 2014Styrofoam Recycling Collection — December 27, 12-2pm
December 9, 2014What is “upcycling” and how can it assist you with the upcoming holidays? According to Wikipedia, upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. Simply put, upcycling is taking something you no longer want/need and finding a purposeful use for it instead of throwing it in the landfill.
Even compared to traditional recycling processes, upcycling is often more environmentally friendly because no energy is required to first break down the old product into its raw component parts. For example, to recycle a plastic bottle, it must first be cleaned, shredded, and melted before being transformed into a new product. No such energy is necessary to upcycle.
Some popular upcycle projects include using wine corks, old t-shirts, plastic bags, cereal boxes, glass bottles/jars, popsicle sticks, magazines, and more.
Upcycling can be a little overwhelming if you have never done it before. Start small by using materials for giftwrapping. You can create gift tags and gift bags by using cereal or snack boxes. Additionally try using magazines or store shopping bags for gift wrap.
The ideas are endless and sources such as Pinterest, Upcycle Magazine, Upcycle That and Terracycle offer tutorials, ideas and more for gifts and reuse of items.
Save money, have fun and learn to upcycle!
