Upcycling, what's that?

The what ? Oh yes, sorry! More commonly called “ Upcycling ”, it is becoming more and more important and so much the better ! This is why on this World Recycling Day we wanted to raise your awareness a little.

If we translated it literally it would be “recycle from above”.

That's to say ? Thanks to this technique created by Reiner Pilz in the 90s, we could create something new with something old without transforming or deconstructing the raw material we use. There is a notion of added value here since we give a new, more qualitative life to materials that we no longer use . When we upcycle, we upgrade!

Please note, this technique is not to be confused with “recycling”!

Recycling is an act of transforming the raw material to create a second one. Through this reuse, this technique enters the circular economy and does good for our planet. For example, the fiber we use in our cushions is 100% recycled since it is created from plastics collected in waterways before reaching the oceans.

Yes, but why isn’t “recycled” free? Let’s take the example of our plastics again. They are collected, taken to a collection point, sorted (by material, color, etc.), then washed. This is a first step, but it's far from finished, as you can imagine! The material must then be reworked industrially to emerge in another form, ready to find a second life.

Above, we used the term “ and so much the better ”, why?

Because upcycling, like recycling, makes it possible to reduce pollution, not to extract new resources but to use those already created. A virtuous circle that takes care of our planet by reducing our impact.

In our workshop, our production generates discarded material (offcuts, end of rolls, etc.). We then decided to expand our range by offering useful everyday accessories such as zipped cases , key rings , bags and even headbands !

Other brands use this technique and for some, it is even their credo. We can cite Les hirondelles (fabrics discarded from the textile industry), Freitag (bags made from truck tarpaulin), Fantome (bag made from bicycle inner tubes), Q de vins (glasses made from cut bottles), . ..

For a zero waste daily life, opt for upcycling!