You love decoration, but you are disgusted by the excesses of the big brands, the waste, and the supremacy of Made in China. You want your interior to be more eco-responsible and minimalist. Upcycling seems to be made for you.
But upcycling, what is it?
You certainly know Lavoisier’s famous maxim: “nothing is lost, everything is transformed”. This sums up upcycling pretty well. It’s not about alchemy but about transforming old objects or recycled materials to give them a new lease of life, a second life. Our Nyawa Kedua project is a good example of this.
Sambal&Cheese takes its essence in upcycling. We recover most of our materials, but also many objects, placed in a state of scrap.
Sambal&Cheese is not the only one to surf this wave of upcycling. We find this concept everywhere, in fashion as well as in decoration, in art and industry. We wanted to give you a precise definition and describe the benefits of this practice.
The Concept of Upcycling
What is the difference between recycling, upcycling and downcycling?
In reality, recycling is the broadest concept, whereas downcycling and upcycling are components of it. Both downcycling and upcycling originated in the mid-90s with Reiner Pilz, a mechanical engineer who started in interior design.
The book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, published in 2002, takes up and popularizes these two terms.
While recycling and downcycling normally involve chemical and physical transformation or melting of materials, upcycling is more akin to reusing or diverting materials and objects.
Recycled objects are reduced to raw materials that are then used to make other objects. The notion of value is what differentiates recycling from downcycling. What comes out of recycling has equivalent value, whereas downcycling or decycling gives rise to objects of lesser value.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling, unlike recycling and downcycling, creates value. It seeks to divert and transform objects and materials to valorize them, to give them more value. It is often about materials or objects that are destined to be thrown away, because they are damaged or more functional, which we will transform into products of higher value.
Upcycling is very much in vogue, especially in decoration. The upcycling object is often the result of an artisanal approach. It is therefore unique. The materials are then enhanced and sublimated.
The Benefits of Upcycling
Environmental impact
The first benefit is ecological. First of all, this recovery of rebus allows a waste reduction. Sometimes this waste is difficult to treat and takes tens or even hundreds of years to completely degrade. This avoids polluting nature and the oceans.
Upcycling also reduces the use of natural resources, by using materials that have already been used beforehand.
The transformation of an object by upcycling often requires the use of less water and energy than designing an object from raw materials.
The economic impact
Upcycling is also very economical by learning how to use materials instead of buying new ones. Also, it gives a new lease of life to objects that would have gone to the garbage. With this concept, you are a winner in every way.
The personal impact
By getting down to upcycling objects and materials, you take the time to do something on your own. It is a time for DIY, a real hobby that can even become addictive!
Upcycling is about taking the time to take the time. Take a break, take a breather, but also blossom in creation and experimentation. You will have the pride of having made something of yourself.
According to a 2017 study on French Furniture, almost ¾ of French people particularly like personalized furniture. We like our interior to look like us and to move away from standardization. Upcycling allows you to do all this at once, but also to express your creativity and have a good time.
Using upcycling in decoration has positive effects on the planet, on your wallet, but also your mood!
How to do upcycling?
First of all, be aware that almost anything can be “upcycled”! Objects, but also materials, such as cardboard, aluminum, steel, wood, glass, textiles, leather, plastics, …
All you have to do is let your imagination run wild. Although we don’t all have the same predispositions for DIY, there are now many ways to help us in this process, such as tutorials on decorating blogs or DIY videos on YouTube. It is possible to start with simple projects.
If you don’t think you have the skills to develop more successful projects you can attend face-to-face or online workshops. Workshops and fab labs are offered all over the world with artisans.
In France, workshops are offered in recycling centers, in Paris, at Débrouille et Compagnie. New formulas are proposed worldwide.
In Melaka, Malaysia, contact Sambal&Cheese if you want to upcycle wood! We are thinking shortly of developing tutorials on social networks, so do not hesitate to follow us.
If you are not manual but enjoy the concept, call on craftsmen like us!
Upcycling combines the notions of craftsmanship and sustainability, avoiding over-consumption and waste.