Upcycling is becoming increasingly popular, and there is a good reason for this! Not only does upcycling have environmental benefits, but it also has social and personal benefits too.
Keep reading to find out the benefits of upcycling.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling refers to the process of turning ‘old’ products into a ‘new’ product by using creative and fun methods. Whether it be items of clothing, old toiletries, storage, or a combination of all these things, you can make some unique and impressive items from upcycling.
The great thing about upcycling is that you don’t need loads of time available to take part in a project! There are plenty of upcycling projects you could complete in a few hours and finish in an afternoon.
If you have clutter at work or at home, instead of throwing it away, consider upcycling it into something new. Not only will this help the environment, but it will also give you a creative blast!
It helps the environment
When you upcycle something, you’re helping to ensure it doesn’t go into landfill. When waste is improperly disposed of, it can cause soil pollution and water pollution. Alongside this, waste can lead to air pollution.
For example, the fashion industry continually develops new trends, which leads to gross overconsumption. Fast fashion causes people to buy clothes, hardly wear them, and then throw them away. Upcycling is a great way to recycle your clothing and create a new item, from the old.
Of course, upcycling won’t completely clear landfill sites of waste. However, it will certainly reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.
So, by gathering your clutter or unused items and upcycling into something new and exciting, you are helping to prevent waste from going to landfill.
It preserves natural resources
By upcycling your old furniture, clothing, or waste, you are avoiding the need to buy new things.
Ultimately, this leads to a reduction in using raw materials and natural resources.
It’s a great way to make money!
Not only can you have a lot of fun when creating upcycling projects, but you can also actually make money from it.
Recently, more people have begun to place upcycled items in their homes, so if you create upcycled furniture, clothing, or other items, try to sell it!
You can be creative
The best thing about upcycling is that it allows you to express your creative flair.
When creating your upcycling projects, you have ultimate control over what you want to do!
It takes an innovative and creative attitude to see a piece of waste and create a project idea from it.
Here are some upcycling ideas to inspire you!
Toilet paper roll organisers
Toilet paper rolls can make great organisers and have a unique look.
By glueing multiple toilet paper rolls together onto a cereal box side, you have a quirky organiser!
It’s entirely up to you how you decorate, and you can add your own individuality to this project.
Ladder into a bookshelf
If you have a lot of books that need storage and an old ladder, you’re in luck!
You can create a bookshelf from a ladder by cutting the wood to size, placing shelf brackets on the ladder, attaching shelves and decorating it to your desired appearance!
Tires into pet beds
One upcycling idea for the home is if you’ve got a pet and want to give them a new bed, try using a tire.
If you ensure the tire is safe to use, you can paint or decorate it to your desired look and add a cushion to the inside.
This will create a perfect pet bed that will add a unique aesthetic to your home.
Create kitchen storage from old sweet tins
Whether you’ve just had a birthday or received sweet tins from another celebration, don’t throw them away. Many sweet tins have contemporary designs that look unique anyway, but you have the potential to create your own designs!
Once you’ve styled the sweet tins to get the desired look, you can create kitchen storage that will add plenty of space.
Old tins can become plant pots
Moving on to a different type of tin, when you’ve finished with food tins such as beans and tinned fruits, you can create stylish plant pots.
By cleaning the food tin out and adding a unique design, you will have plant pots that sit perfectly on the window. You could use these for small indoor plants or even grow your spices in them!
Old books create great vintage shelves
Many households have a plethora of old books that they’ve read time and time again. When you’re just not sure what to do with these books anymore, and they’re gathering dust, you could create some vintage shelves.
By adding a small bracket to the wall and placing the book on top, you have reinvented the old dusty book and transformed your shelving! This easy upcycling idea adds a fantastic element to your home.
Paint any old cupboards or shelves
If you’ve redecorated and fancy a change, don’t throw away all old cupboards and shelves that don’t match your new colour scheme.
This is a perfect opportunity to add your own stamp to your furnishings. Whether you find a design online or wing it, you can paint your furniture how you desire.
Not only does this give you the chance to be creative, but it also saves the environment from unnecessary waste.