Let us go UPCYCLING... it might make us RICH?

UPCYCLING…  I do not know why. but I am very food of this IDEA.   Maybe because of my love for design and architecture or just because I do not want things just to be of waste.  What is Upcycling?  It is more referred to as innovative re-use or repurposing.  Actually, it is the procedure of taking substances or merchandise which might be undesirable or considered garbage to most but with unique and much creativity can make them to a new use like art, decoration, furniture, or any useful thing.   

It is like recycling but on a different level.  In recycling, the goods are damaged right all the way down to their thing components and re-synthetic into new merchandise.  Creative reuse is likewise one of a kind from traditional reuse, wherein the product is used for its unique cause again.

I saw unused airplane wings become part of the design of great private residential villa or even a whole airplane or bus made into a house. I even saw big reinforced concrete pipes turned them into bed spaces in a hotel or vacation spots. The much very widely re-used Container Vans which are re-use and redesign to be a store, living space, or any space you want it to be. We just did a schematic design using old container vans of a certain real estate company and convert them into one sales office and training area. It is composed of three 40-footer container vans with additional metal works for aesthetics.

I admire most are people who turned unused items or even new one into great arts pieces especially sculptures or installation arts installed on streets or conventions like these images below which shows a robot figure from water pipes; a horse head from different kind of metal scraps; and a bike installation masterpiece from galvanized iron pipes and faucets.

The brilliant idea of upcycling has brought about a handful of reasons why it should be known to everyone and apply them. Like the following:

1. It increases environmental awareness. It makes the landfills with less trash. and it inspires us to make upcycling a part of our lives whether we gain economical profit from it or just for fun. Just like this used plastic bottles of mountain dew and used as Christmas lanterns that can be used yearly or be sold.

1. We can profit from it. And a lot of people are even making it big gains. Artists and craftsmen are already earning massive income via way of means of “turning trash into treasure” i even saw bolts and metal wires into sculptures of anything you can think of. Just like the furniture below which is made entirely of straws and reinforced steel bars for support. See image below.

1. You do not have to be a designer to gain big here. Even a simple family can save a lot of money from this. You can use old tires and used it as a plant box. I even saw one interior designer found an old wood in a public place. Put it in frame and it became a great accent wall art in the wall of a living area. I found leftover concrete hollow blocks and use as a side bed furniture. Better than buying one.

1. You have an item that have a very nostalgic effect on you or an item that has been very been there throughout family generation and very hesitant to throw it away. Upcycling solves this problem. You could restore and refurbish them and cause them to practical again. Here is an old sewing machine in the house turned into a tabletop.

1. It boosts your creativity. It can be grand or the simplest you can think. Sky is the limit and the possibilities are endless. Once you try it, your mind will soon think of other ideas to turn you once recognized as thrash could be a gem to your eyes again.

I am now addicted to this idea called upcycling. I am researching a lot with this. I even saw wood pallets made into a lot of things from storage to sofa and beds. Can this make me rich? Maybe yes and I am looking forward into having this as an income but for now, immersion into it is an experience, researching and gaining more knowledge. I have been thinking about it a lot and maybe with more effort and time I could think of one that I could confidently sell. Now, this is my latest work, unused accent tiles and made them into an accent framed piece on a landing in our stairs and planning to put several creative masks on it that are hiding on our cabinets.

Now, I am procrastinating into my first sale. With the positive and creative mind, packaging, effort and time. I think I can make it. Time will tell. Let us go upcycling.

One last thing. The image with the green bottles on it was an art piece of used mountain dew bottles put in a frame with lights at the back and what you got is a very intriguing and unique piece of art or lighting fixture. Cool right?