EAI presents Cleantech Snapshots: a quick summary of some of the most interesting and innovative areas in clean technology that will drive the sustainability movement in future.
This snapshot focuses on Upcycling. Within this page you will find
Overview
- Upcycling, a fairly new but fast growing trend, involves converting waste materials into new materials of quality or value higher than the original material
- It has seen an increase in the recent past due to its contribution to sustainability, and also owing to the hip value
- Upcycling also has an interesting social contribution, as it involves the bottom of pyramid segments to create premium products from cheap or freely available raw materials
- It is the process of converting old or discarded things into useful materials. It gives an item a better purpose
- When an item is no longer needed, it is given a new life as something that is either useful or creative
Upcycling waste (Image source)
Our specialty focus areas include
Waste that can be upcycled
- Paper
- Metals
- Glass
- Plastics
- Hazardous wastes
- Organic wastes
Examples of upcycling
- Bike Inner tube wallet: Transforming inner tube of a bike tire into a durable, waterproof wallet
- Plastic bag to laptop case
- Newspaper to gift bag
Why is upcycling popular
- The increased awareness of environmental responsibility and slowing economy has led to major increase in upcycling
- It helps both to save money and the planet
