Bringing old items back into use is gaining popularity. What is upcycling and how to implement it?
After years of mindless consumerism and throwing away things that were broken but could still be repaired, it is time for a change. An emerging trend is so-called upcycling, a variation of recycling for personal use.
What is unusual about upcycling, however, is that it recycles items that seemingly have no use anymore. What use can an empty milk carton have? It turns out that there are at least a few ideas – such as transforming it into a home vegetable garden. There are no limits to the idea of restoring usefulness to objects, almost every item can be used somehow – be it a broken skateboard or an empty egg carton.
Recycling itself is well known to everyone. It consists in processing used objects in their original form. Nowadays, even large corporations are competing to see which of them will be more environmentally friendly. Coca-Cola has been promoting the program of bringing back plastic bottles for reuse for a long time.
One may wonder how such activities can improve our ecological situation. In the time of global crisis every “brought to life” object is more valuable than gold. We ourselves are finally able to do something more than just segregate garbage. Upcycling is not just a new fad, it can turn out to be a real lifesaver, both for our wallets and the planet. The more creative we get, the more likely we are to inspire more people.
Upcycling, however, has gone one step further. The principle is simple: instead of trashing something, try to put it to good use. This initiative is of particular importance if you look at the CSO data from 2016. According to them, each Pole produces on average about 283 kg of garbage. Then it’s worth making your own examination of conscience – how many times have we thrown away slightly holey clothes instead of simply stitching them up? How much plastic, foil or cardboard do we throw away that we could creatively use ourselves?
Just imagine all the glass bottles or jars, often hiding in basements or thrown in the trash because of expired food inside. Such items can make great everyday objects. Bottles can be turned into beautiful vases with the help of paint, while jars can be used as a place for spices, teas and any other dried food. Some can be made into wonderful colorful candle holders.
What to do with tin cans? AKCJA:REPERACJA suggests – make upcycled candlesticks out of them! ?
What is the…
Published by Adzik creates Saturday, 18 April 2020
Old bags, suitcases and used cardboard boxes can be transformed into original flower pots. Grandma’s sewing machines, hidden in the basement, can also be used in interesting ways. Just attach a few boards to them and a magical table with history will be created. Even a rusty rake can be refurbished to serve as a hanger from now on.
A wooden ladder from your grandparents’ garden will be perfect as a shelf. You just need to refresh it with some color and add a couple of planks. In turn, commonly used pallets will not disappoint us, after using a handful of nails, as a small table or in the form of a flowerbed.
Clothes that we have grown out of can also be given a new life. The more crazy and unobvious combinations, the better. There are many possibilities, none is worse than another. The only thing you need for this artistic hobby is scissors, needle and thread, and some time.
Featured photo: Pixabay
