Recycling, Upcycling, and Downcycling

If you’re looking to do a craft program with recycled materials, you may be surprised by just how many items you can reuse creatively. Even a simple plastic bottle can be reused to create something really cool!

We can come up with some super creative ideas for crafts and let's remember that if we recycle materials, it is way better for our environment! There are so many different recycling projects out there where we can use lots of everyday items. Here's a list of many items that can be used and reused for craft programs:

• Glass bottles
• Plastic bottles
• Paper rolls (from kitchen towel and toilet paper)
• Clothes
• Books
• Plastic Pots
• Corks
• Dryer sheets
• Coffee grounds
• Egg cartons
• Shoe boxes
• Old and damaged tiles
• Bottle caps
• Mailing tubes
• CDs and DVDs
• Light bulbs
• Carpet
• Fabric scraps
• Glass
• Office Supplies
• Metal
• Clay scraps

I'm sure there are more items out there that can be recycled, but this list gives us a good idea of just how many different items can be recycled for crafting purposes.

Check out this awesome Youtube video that shows us a whole bunch of ways to reuse and recycle plastic.

34 LOVELY HACKS TO REUSE PLASTIC

Upcycling

Upcycling is a fun way of recycling things that you might not be using and then turning it into something practical that you will use or give to someone else to use. 

Upcycling can be done for all sorts of items on the recycling list. There are so many different upcycling projects out there on craft blogs and on Youtube channels, with creative people upcycling all kinds of different recycled items from cookie sheets and file folder labels.

Upcycling is an awesome way to create fun and decorative items, or items that just work in a practical way, such as a plastic bottle to help water a plant can be extremely useful for anyone. Either way, this helps our environment because rather than throwing the bottle in the trash it is being used over and over again.

The DIY Network has 35 Upcycled Crafts + Easy DIYs that can help you get lot of ideas on your next upcycling project!  Let me know if you try any of these, I'd love to hear all about it!

Downcycling

Downcycling is just as useful as recycling or upcycling and gives sort of the opposite approach since it involves breaking down items into smaller parts and creating something different.  This is usually helpful and gives the creator a lot more pieces to work with, which then gives more value than the item as a whole would have been worth and it's all being reused so that is a great thing.

If you are looking at how to make creative things from materials that you have at home take a look at some of the craft blogs and crafty channels on Youtube about downcycling.  Some ideas focus on using old clothes for art projects or old sweaters for pet clothing or bedding or how to turn old CDs into backyard windchimes.

Here's a great Youtube video that explains very well what Downcycling is all about.  Check it out!

See you next time with some ideas for crafts using fabric scraps that you might just have lying around your house or work.  I have lots of fun ideas for you!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

The Three R's: How to incorporate these principles into craft programs

Have heard of something called the waste hierarchy?  If you haven't, you may be wondering what that means. It is the order of priority of actions to be taken to reduce the amount of waste generated and to improve overall waste management processes and programs.

The waste hierarchy consists of 3 R’s as follows:

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle

The Three R’s are considered to be a waste hierarchy and the guidance suggested for creating a sustainable life. Surprisingly, every year approximately 230 million tons of trash or waste is generated and this equals about 4.6 pounds of waste per person per day.  Sadly, less than 1/4 of this is recycled, the rest is incinerated or left in landfills.  In fact, we could recycle about 70% of what is tossed in landfills, with just a little bit of thought and ingenuity. You might be wondering as to how can you incorporate these principles in your daily life. They are not hard to implement. All you need is to bring a small change in your daily lifestyle to reduce waste so that less amount of it goes to the landfill that can reduce your carbon footprint.  My suggestion is to try and reuse any and all materials that can be reused and recycled for craft projects.  Over the next few months, I'll be talking about how to incorporate the three R's into library craft programs and giving out tips and craft ideas that highlight recycled materials.  

Tune in next time for my next installation on how to Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, this will be a library crafting series with lots of information on recycling, how to use recycled materials for crafts, and how to put on a Three R's craft program.

Mrs. Librarian Lady