Upcycling and Repurposing

Upcycling and repurposing are gaining steam.

Admit it. You picked up that 1980’s brass chandelier from the curb on garbage day.

Well, don’t be sheepish about it! You are in good company. In our informal survey, respondents said they upcycled or repurposed something they picked up after it was of no use to someone else.

That’s good news for the environment and the family’s bottom line. Upcycling and repurposing are gaining steam as a fun way to be green and thrifty.

And creative types are doing cool things with the items they get for free.

A friend roughened the surface of that old brass chandelier and spray painted it with a new platinum metallic finish. Presto! The same day she hung a sparkling new lighting fixture in her foyer – all for less than $10.

Building products are commonly repurposed by contractors. Old building parts like door panels and shutters can be repurposed as decorative elements, like those installed at Chili U Restaurant in Libertyville. Engineering News Record featured a Denver company that buys products and sells them for a different use. Repurposed Materials, Inc. owner Damon Carson offered an example of a transaction in which a rubber roofing membrane was purchased by a landscaper for use as pond liners. “Our customers come up with all kinds of creative uses for these products.”

Our environment benefits from upcycling and repurposing too. Think of all the items that would have ended up in garbage dumps if they were not reused.

But let’s face it, some items are just junk. If the item is well designed and built, it may have potential for reuse. Go ahead and snag it! That old chandelier may be just the perfect touch for your foyer.