Upcycling...

Recycle and Upcycle. Two words that if put into action would tremendously reduce global warming and climate change.

Upcycling... Whatever that may be?

We hear of Recycling, all the time - "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".

Recycling involves turning waste or broken materials into a reusable product or to refurbish it. For example, when you put paper into the recycling bin (remember, its the recycling bin NOT THE TRASH CAN!), the people who collect the waste from the recycling bin take it to a recycling plant. There, your paper gets mashed up and converted into pulp. This pulp is then turned into new paper or made into other paper products like egg and milk cartons or newspapers.

So too with the glass and plastic bottles and soda cans you may discard.

An upcycled bowl made of magazines

Upcycling is less heard of. Now imagine you take waste materials or unwanted products and craft them into a useful or better one? For example, take magazine pages and turn it into a bowl or container, or taking a tissue box and convert it into a gift basket. Now you are upcycling! Usually, upcycling activities are creative. 

So if you want to put on your creative cap, below are links to websites that have great upcycling activities:

http://www.artefizio.org/italiano-articolo-e-books/provapost4
http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/7364-how-to-turn-a-magazine-into-a-gift-bow
http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/9976-5-rolled-magazine-diy-projects
http://savedbylovecreations.com/2011/09/coiled-magazine-page-round-coasters.html
http://savedbylovecreations.com/2011/09/coiled-magazine-page-dish-with-lid.html
http://savedbylovecreations.com/2012/06/60-projects-to-make-with-old-magazines.html

Try them out. Or if you have some of your own ideas, share them with us by commenting at the bottom of this post. Don't forget to include a picture!