Is Upcycling The Future of Fashion?

Upcycling is a practice that has existed for many years, and it’s used in furniture, household items and fashion production. However, recently, there has been conversation around the topic and whether it could be the answer to issues in the fashion sector.

Instead of making new garments every season or more in fast fashion terms - could upcycling offer an alternative to mass production? 

Below, we look at the benefits of upcycling and offer some inspiration so you can try it at home. 

What is upcycling?

So, the first thing we need to do is talk about what upcycling is and how it relates to fashion. Upcycling is often referred to as the practice of taking waste materials and then using them to create something new. Two types of waste are generally accepted for this - pre-consumer and post-consumer waste.

For example, pre-consumer fashion waste might be excess material or textile scraps that can be repurposed into a new outfit, and post-consumer waste might be something that has been bought, used, and then given away, like donated clothing.

What are the benefits of upcycling?

There are plenty of benefits to come from upcycling. Let’s take a look at some of the common ones below:

Reduces landfill waste

While some textiles and materials used in fashion are recyclable, it is estimated around 10,000 items still go to landfill every five minutes. This is incredibly harmful to the environment, so upcycling can help reduce this significantly. 

Decreases CO2 emissions

CO2 emissions are one of the leading causes of climate change, and the fashion industry is a big culprit, producing around 8-10% of them globally. By upcycling, you are already using materials in circulation, which helps to reduce overall emissions of your clothing. 

Turn upcycling into a business

Many individuals now earn a living by upcycling fashion. People often express interest in handmade, upcycled clothing because it appeals to a growing demographic of environmentally conscious consumers who want a more sustainable fashion source. 

Minimise new material production

Upcycling is important because it helps to minimise the production of new raw materials. Often, this is where the most significant number of problems come into play because creating new products usually requires a lot of resources.

Helps the environment 

Pollution is one of the leading problems that the fashion industry is trying to prevent, and upcycling is a good solution to this. By investing in upcycling schemes, companies can curb pollution production and contribute to a greener, healthier planet.

Educate people

Upcycling is important because it allows us to educate the next generation. Not everybody understands the damage the fashion industry causes to the planet. So upcycling is an excellent way to provide them with the tools to create change for the better. 

What is the difference between upcycling and recycling?

So, what is the difference between upcycling and recycling? After all, everybody recycles anyway, so why would you feel the need to try and upcycle when there’s already a process to reuse materials.

Ultimately, the problem exists in the formula, the way people recycle. Recycling is a great initiative - nobody is denying that it has contributed meaningfully towards protecting the planet. There are now millions of products out in the world that are made from recycled materials.

However, recycling requires a lot of energy and resources to successfully do on a large scale. When you consider every piece of plastic and every article of clothing, each has to be cleaned, sterilised, and then repurposed, and that takes a lot of time and quite a bit of energy.

This demand means that while recycling is a good idea, it’s not necessarily the best on a short term basis. Upcycling helps to deal with the consequences of the fashion industry and create sustainable clothing without requiring large amounts of energy to transform the product. The materials are already there - the raw resources are present in old clothes and scraps of textiles, and they just need to be repurposed.

Upcycling inspiration

If you want to get into upcycling, then there’s plenty you can do to get going. Here are some great ideas you could try out:

Sew a pocket

Sewing a pocket to old clothing is a great way to update them. It's not only practical but adds a little more detail to the original design. It's also simple to do. 

Jeans into a skirt

Old jeans or denim can be effectively fashioned into a mid-length skirt with a bit of upcycling magic. It’s not too difficult to do, and the result is something totally unique to you.

Scarf into a summer cover-up

A long, lightweight scarf can be turned into a brand-new summer cover-up, and it doesn’t take tons of skill to do either. It’s pretty straightforward, but it can look amazing, especially when you experiment with different patterns.

Curtains to clothing

You might not know this, but you can actually transform curtains into clothing. Curtains, after all, are just fabric, which means they can be effectively utilised in many different situations. It’s not difficult to do, and you might end up with a fabulous dress.

So, as you can see above, there are plenty of ways to upcycle something. Not only does it look amazing from beginning to end, but it’s also an excellent way to reduce fashion's negative impact on the environment. All-in-all, upcycling could easily be the future of fashion if enough get on board with the concept. 

For inspiration on upcycling, check out our blog post - Brighten Up Your Wardrobe With These Awesome Sewing and Crafting Ideas