What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is a way to creatively reuse and recycle waste products and turn them into higher quality, useful items. For high-value items such as furniture, upcycling can be a way to rejuvenate your home without having to spend a fortune on buying new chairs, tables, chests of drawers or smaller, decorative pieces.

Why Should I Upcycle?

There are several benefits to upcycling, the main ones being economic, environmental, social and creative. Let’s look at these benefits in more detail:

The Environmental Impact of Upcycling

Upcycling has a largely positive effect on the environment. Our atmosphere currently has the highest CO2 levels in history and our oceans are filled with rubbish and plastic waste. Upcycling can help bring these numbers down by preventing the amount of waste that we discard. By upcycling, we remove the need to produce new or raw materials. And in doing this, we also cut down on air pollution, water pollution, landfill, and even greenhouse gas emissions.

The Creative Benefits of Upcycling

Upcycling is a very creative process. With an idea and a bit of creativity, you can turn a waste item into a useful or beautiful object.  For example, you can transform an old chest of drawers simply by sticking patterned wallpaper onto its tired or worn front panels.

To do this you will need strong, good quality products, such as Superglue. Working with your hands and learning how to Upcycle can also improve dexterity and broaden your skill set.

The Social Benefits of Upcycling

Upcycling is about self-expression and environmentalism. If you prefer not to undertake upcycling tasks yourself, you can buy upcycled treasures from local markets and arts and crafts stalls, thereby supporting local artisans and rural enterprise.

There is something deeply satisfying about knowing that your upcycled item is unique and artisanal and that it hasn’t been mass-produced by a designer. Good Housekeeping has some great ideas to get you started with upcycling.

 

The Economic Benefits of Upcycling

The cost benefits of upcycling rather than always buying new are huge. For example, re-upholstering your sofa is a fraction of the cost of spending thousands of pounds on a brand-new sofa. You get to choose exactly the fabric and colour that you want and you end up with something that reflects your own tastes and personality, rather than something that has been mass-produced in a factory.

The result is an original sofa that looks like new, for a fraction of the cost. Upcycling is a means of breathing new life into your home whilst at the same time having a minimum impact on the environment.

Even wine bottles or other glass or ceramic containers can be decorated and adapted and turned into lamps, candle holders, plant pots or anything else you fancy. Products such as Super Glue Ultra Gel can withstand freezing conditions and moisture,  so you can use your creativity to upcycle products for your garden or patio, too!

Let your imagination run wild and get upcycling today!