Upcycling vs. Recycling: What’s the Difference? | May 11st, 2020
Every day, the world generates more than 2 billion tons of waste — that's more than a pound and a half per person, per day. Recycling and upcycling are two distinct ways of reducing that waste, but the difference between these two processes is often muddled.
Recycling describes the breaking down of discarded items into new materials that manufacturers use to create new items. An empty soda bottle is broken down into tiny plastic pellets. Soda cans are shredded into tiny pieces, cleaned of paint and coatings, and flattened into aluminum sheets.
Upcycling goes one step deeper. Instead of just mechanically transforming the material into a raw ingredient, upcycling changes the material into something better. Plastic bottles become someone’s new favorite jacket. Old tires become flooring material for a gym.
These two processes make up the circular economy, and they’re happening on a larger scale than ever before.
Upcycling and Recycling: A Brief History
Recycling as we know it started in the late 19th century, when garbage collection began and workers at conveyor belts sorted out reusable items to sell to manufacturers. Public recycling programs didn’t take hold, though, until landfills began overfilling in the 1970s. Since then, the rate of recycled household goods has increased steadily:
10% in 1980
16% in 1990
29% in 2000
>35% in 2017
Throughout this time, upcycling was going on too, though most people knew it only as an at-home pursuit — turning apple crates into shelves, for example.
In 2002, that started to change when architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart authored a manifesto challenging traditional notions of manufacturing and design. The book, Cradle to Cradle, was even printed on plastic to reinforce its point: anything could be repurposed if the materials were strong enough.
McDonough and Braungart gave industrial legitimacy to a process that had been going on for years. Since World War II, manufacturers have repurposed discarded aluminum into a variety of products, from race cars to airport chairs. The publication of Cradle to Cradle gave industrial upcycling new attention: suddenly, manufacturers could build something from post-consumer material that wasn’t designed for disposal.
Upcycling Today
In recent years — as consumers become more waste-averse — designers and brands have shown support and adapted, showing consumers what upcycled products look like. This trend has ingrained a new core value across industries, from fashion design to construction.
Clothes
Adidas offers a sneaker made entirely of fibers reclaimed from the ocean. Patagonia makes PET bottles into polar fleece. Designer Nathan Zhang is making $400 capes out of old jeans.
These aren’t the only upcycling initiatives in the industry these days, though; some designers and artisans are putting themselves on the map with original designs from thrift store finds.
Almost 60% of all clothing ends up in incinerators or landfills within a year of production. In addition, the average American throws away a whopping 70 pounds of textiles every year — making clothing one of the biggest candidates for industrial upcycling. Fortunately, it’s finally getting its due.
Design
English design firm Patience and Gough created an entire studio dedicated to furniture that’s been restored, hand-painted, and repurposed into statement pieces. In response to the worldwide craft brewing craze, Miniwiz devised the Hops Chair, seating made entirely of spent grain from beer production.
Here at Miniwiz, we are also responsible for the House of Trash, a collaborative space in the center of Milan, Italy, that’s almost completely post-consumer. All of the house’s rooms, from living spaces to hot desk areas, are outfitted with upcycled materials.
Interior design has long been a target for upcycling, but mostly at the amateur level — repainted dressers, refinished dining tables, and the like. Now, however, professional designers are creating unique looks that blend artistry with environmental responsibility, and the results are anything but disposable.
Architecture
In southern Sweden, a permaculture farm and retreat features cabins made from parts of abandoned buildings. In Hong Kong, nearly 5,000 five-gallon water bottles were used to construct the Rising Moon pavilion, an illuminated dome set on a pond of still water.
In Taipei, Taiwan, Miniwiz’s EcoARK stands nine stories tall and is entirely made of mechanically recycled plastic bottles. Nearby in China is another Miniwiz project: The Jackie Chan Stuntman Training Center. One of the first bold leaps in architectural upcycling, the center uses not only upcycled materials but also an upcycled location. Formerly a cinema park, the location now features artificial turf made of plastic bags, flooring made of old tires, and upcycled DVDs for the facade.
Upcycled architecture has made its way into the US as well. In Washington State, two professors have created a prototype known as TrashWall: a sustainable and affordable form of insulation made of cardboard, soft drink bottles, plastic bags, and shredded paper. The exterior of the wall can be made of shredded paper, cement, and water for a fireproof effect, or rolled-up magazines for a kind of upcycled mosaic.
These and other upcycled buildings may be among the most impressive results of the sustainability trend. Picture a house made with plastic bottles and you might imagine, at best, a marginally safe child’s playhouse — but the reality of upcycled architecture is far more ambitious.
Recycling: The Next Generation
While industrial upcycling makes headlines, recycling continues to evolve. Innovators are removing impurities from materials that are notoriously difficult to recycle. Other researchers are developing sustainable additives that manufacturers use to enhance raw recycled materials, making these materials more industrially usable.
Part of the challenge is deploying these advanced recycling processes where they’re most needed. Miniwiz is also helping to solve that problem with Trashpresso, the world’s first solar-powered mobile recycling plant. By distilling the recycling process into a three-step workflow and condensing it into the space of two trailers, Trashpresso brings sustainable recycling anywhere it’s needed.
Yet another innovation comes from Ohio’s PureCycle Technologies, which has found a way to turn polypropylene plastic into a like-new material. This transformative development will give new life to these problematic plastics, only 1% of which are recycled using currently available systems.
Moving Forward
In this cutting-edge world of upcycling and recycling, Miniwiz is proud to be a global leader. We work with clients in a variety of industries, from construction and architecture to consumer goods. Whether we’re devising a finished product or building modules like our Polli-Ber Brick Wall System, we’re constantly finding ways to transform old things into something new — something better.
Want to know more about upcycling vs. recycling, and where we’re taking these practices next? Check out our website to find out what we’re up to.