Upcycling

From Hipcyle.com, here is a definition. "What Is Upcyling? Upcycling is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful. For example: --Unraveling a wire clothes hanger to break into your car to rescue your keys = not upcycling --Stretching out a wire clothes hanger then tying strips of a plastic bag around it to make a wreath = upcycling! Upcycling gives an item a better purpose. And while jimmying the lock on your car to is giving that hanger a new purpose, it’s not necessarily better or more beautiful. And the mangled hanger is likely destined for the trash, which is the opposite intent of upcycling. Recycling vs. Upcycling Recycling takes consumer materials — mostly plastic, paper, metal and glass — and breaks them down so their base materials can be remade into a new consumer product, often of lesser quality. When you upcycle an item, you aren’t breaking down the materials. You may be refashioning it — like cutting a t-shirt into strips of yarn — but it’s still made of the same materials as when you started. Also, the upcycled item is typically better or the same quality as the original. - See more at: http://hipcycle.com/what-is-upcycling#sthash.3Ve18Jlj.dpuf"