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top   »  world   »  sustainability   »  reuse   »  upcycling vs downcycling

Upcycling vs Downcycling

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Upcycling is reuse of an item that results in something of greater value than the original. Downcycling is reuse of an item that results in something of lesser value than the original.
It typically requires creativity and labor to upcycle items. For example, wood recovered from the floor of a deconstructed building might be used to create fine furniture. Upcycling is commonly used to create art. The digital version of upcycling is often used to create music by sampling sources such as films or street noise. Generally speaking, upcycling tends to be difficult to scale and is less common than downcycling.
Downcycling can take the form of reuse or recycling. As an example of reuse, bricks from a building might be used to design a garden. Such bricks might be chipped and broken but have use to build a small garden wall or decorative feature. Recycling is the most common type of downcycling that reduces an item to its materials to produce something completely new. For example, books might become toilet paper.
Upcycling vs Downcycling
Upcycling
Downcycling
Definition
Reuse that results in items of greater value than the original.
Reuse that results in items of lesser value than the original.
Typical Examples
Crafts
Art
Refurbishing
Recycling
Advantage
Reduces waste by preserving value.
Scale

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