Upcycle!

When I first signed up for the Waste Watcher’s challenge, I bombarded poor Emma from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust with all kinds of upcycling and recycling ideas for workshops and things. She bravely agreed to meet with me to discuss all my crazy schemes, and together we came up with the idea of an Upcycling workshop to run during The Rubbish Diet, to encourage people to look differently at their rubbish.

So, what is Upcycling?

According to Wikipedia, “Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.”

And why is it different to Recycling?

According to Wiki answers: “The main difference between upcycling and recycling is making something of equal or better value without downgrading the original material or creating more pollution during the process. For example the quality of recycled paper is lower than that of new paper and the same holds true with recycled plastics.”

So now you know.

I like to think in very basic terms, that Upcycling is usually something I can do in my own home. And recycling is not. I am sure there are many many flaws with that definition, and the Upcycling purists are probably jumping up and down in a rage, but it makes sense inside my little brain, so that is what I am going with.

Anyway, back to the point of the blog! Emma and I recently ran our very first inaugural Upcycling workshop, in Warminster Library on Saturday morning. Many many thanks go to the staff at Warminster Library for allowing us to use this great space for free, and for helping us to publicise it-I hope we weren’t too noisy..!

Emma and I scratched our heads for a little while about what would be a suitable project. It had to be something that could be acheived in relatively short period of time, and not use too much in the way of things we might need to buy.

And this is what we eventually decided to go with:

It’s a magnetic memo boards  made from a biscuit tin lid! I realise that this sounds a bit rubbish (pun intended…) but I think they look pretty cool.

I am so pleased to say it was a resounding success!

We had 20 people-young and old(er), and everyone seemed to really enjoy it.

I will post a ‘how to’ tomorrow, as no doubt you will all be desperate to have one of these beauties hanging on your wall…

…but for now, here are some photos from the workshop to wet your appetite!

Receiving instructions from Emma!

A very talented pair of Upcyclers..!

…and another..!

…and another!!