History of Upcycling

Upcycling defined:

“The process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.”

Early History:

The history of upcycling can be traced back to early humans when the reuse of materials and products was part of everyday life and existence.  

The 1900s

The term ‘upcycling’ was first used by Reiner Pilz while discussing recycling or as he named it, ‘Downcycling’ in an article by Thornton Kay of Salvo in 1994.

The term ‘upcycling’ and idea was coined outright in 1998 by Gunter Pauli when it appeared in his book Upsizing: The Road to Zero Emissions- More Jobs, More Income and No Pollution, given the revised title of Upcycling in 1999.

The 20th Century

In 2002, William McDonough and Michael Braungart published a very unique book called Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.  It was printed with soy-based ink on plastic pages so the ink could later be removed and another book could be printed. The plastic pages were used so they could later be upcycled into higher quality product. McDonough and Braungart emphasize the need for all designers and innovators in the industry to remake the way they make things in order to achieve sustainability in the face of limited resources, the global trash epidemic, and other interconnected global social and environmental challenges. They stated that the goal of upcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials by making use of existing ones. This reduces the consumption of new raw materials when creating new products. Reducing the use of new raw materials can result in a reduction of energy usage, air pollution, water pollution and even greenhouse gas emissions.

With more individuals being more aware of environmentalism upcycling has risen in popularity, especially since 2008’s financial crash, and is still going strong today.

With all the turmoil the world is in now and days it’s no wonder this creative passion has driven so many people over the years to look for better solutions. Upcycling isn’t only an incredibly satisfying way of life it’s a great way to explore your own creativity, especially if you’re creating on a budget. Finding things to upcycle is as easy as looking around your home. What will you make today?

‘til next time,

Misty

If you loved learning about upcycling look into booking one of my creative workshops.