Meaning & use
upcycling
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Meanings
noununcountable
The activity of making new, more valuable things out of old or waste items instead of throwing them away.
Grammar: Uncountable, so no plural and no 'an': say 'a lot of upcycling', not 'many upcyclings'.
Patterns
- upcycling of something
- upcycling project/idea
- do upcycling
Upcycling old furniture is a cheap way to furnish a first apartment.
Her hobby is upcycling: she turns worn jeans into tote bags.
The school runs a workshop on upcycling plastic bottles into plant pots.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Present participle of upcycle: making something new and better from an old or discarded item.
Grammar: As a verb it can take an object (upcycle a table) or stand alone (she loves upcycling).
Patterns
- upcycle something into something
- upcycle old clothes/furniture
They are upcycling an old shipping container into a café.
He upcycles broken skateboards into wall clocks.
Word forms
| base verb | upcycle |
|---|---|
| third person singular | upcycles |
| past tense | upcycled |
| past participle | upcycled |
Common combinations
- upcycling project
- Our class started an upcycling project with old T-shirts.
- creative upcycling
- Creative upcycling can turn junk into stylish decor.
- upcycling at home
- Upcycling at home saves money and reduces waste.
- a trend in upcycling
- There is a growing trend in upcycling among young designers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recycling
- Recycling usually means processing waste into raw material; upcycling means making a product of higher value without breaking it down.
- repurposing
- Repurposing means giving an item a new use, which may or may not add value; upcycling stresses the improved result.
- reuse
- Reuse simply means using something again, while upcycling changes it into something new.
Opposites
Word family
- upcycle verb
- to make something new and better from an old item
- upcycled adjective
- made from old materials in a creative way, as in upcycled furniture
- upcycler noun
- a person who regularly upcycles things
Commonly confused: upcycling or recycling? upcycling or downcycling?
upcycling vs recycling
Recycling breaks items down into raw materials; upcycling keeps the material and creates a product of greater value.
upcycling vs downcycling
Downcycling makes lower-quality material from waste, the opposite direction from upcycling.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'upcycling' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The verb upcycle takes a direct object: upcycle something into something. 'Upcycling of' needs a noun phrase like 'the upcycling of old ladders', and 'to/for' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “upcycling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.