Recycling, Upcycling, Downcycling. What do all of these mean?
Today’s tidbit? A few definitions for you!
recycling
/rēˈsīk(ə)liNG/
noun
the action or process of converting waste into reusable material.
"a call for the recycling of all paper"
waste material set aside to be recycled.
"recycling is collected on a weekly basis"
upcycling
/ˈəpˌsīk(ə)l/
verb
gerund or present participle: upcycling
reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.
"the opportunity to upcycle trash, or turn it into new products, was vast"
downcycling
/dau̇n-ˌsī-kəl/
transitive verb
to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a lower value than the original item : to create an object of lesser value from (a discarded object of higher value)
“Other companies that claim to recycle carpet actually "downcycle" it, taking used carpet, chopping it up, and reusing it in lower-grade products such as carpet backing”
Let’s build that bridge,
Rebecca