UP, Down, Re- Cycling that is :)
Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.
The first recorded use of the term upcycling was by Reiner Pilz of Pilz GmbH in an interview by Thornton Kay of Salvo in 1994.
[1]
We talked about the impending EU Demolition Waste Streams directive. "Recycling," he said, "I call it downcycling. They smash bricks, they smash everything. What we need is upcycling where old products are given more value not less." He despairs of the German situation and recalls the supply of a large quantity of reclaimed woodblock from an English supplier for a contract in Nuremberg while just down the road a load of similar blocks was scrapped. In the road outside his premises, was the result of the Germans' demolition waste recycling. It was a pinky looking aggregate with pieces of handmade brick, old tiles and discernible parts of useful old items mixed with crushed concrete. Is this the future for Europe?
Downcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality. The goal of downcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials, reduce consumption of fresh
raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce
air pollution and
water pollution, and lower
greenhouse gas emissions (though re-use of tainted toxic chemicals for other purposes can have the opposite effect) as compared to virgin production. A clear example is
plastic recycling, which turns the material into lower grade
plastics.
Recycling is processing used
materials (
waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce
energy usage, reduce air pollution (from
incineration) and water pollution (from
landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower
greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.
[1][2] Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "
Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle"
waste hierarchy.
To
reuse is to use an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a different function. In contrast,
recycling is the breaking down of the used item into
raw materials which are used to make new items. By taking useful products and exchanging them, without reprocessing, reuse help save time, money, energy, and resources. In broader economic terms, reuse offers quality products to people and organizations with limited means, while generating jobs and business activity that contribute to the economy.
Trashion (a
portmanteau of "trash" and "fashion") is a term for art, jewelry, fashion and objects for the home created from used, thrown-out, found and repurposed elements. The term was first coined in
New Zealand in 2004
[1] and gained in usage through 2005.
[2]
Initially trashion was used to describe art-
couture costume usually linked to contests or fashion shows; however, as recycling and 'green' fashion become more prevalent, trashion has taken a turn for the more wearable. The term is now widely used in creative circles to describe any wearable item or accessory that is constructed using all or part materials that have been recycled, including clothing that has been thrifted and reconditioned.
*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What is the difference? Do you know?
They all sound fun to me!
Happy Crafting!
~Friggle Fraggle~
