All about upcycling

Upcycling is a concept based on the idea of converting materials or products that are no longer useful into others of higher quality, ecological, and economic value. Unlike conventional recycling, which consists of breaking down materials to reuse the raw material, upcycling seeks to give them a new life but in a creative and transformative way.

The term has become popular as a response to the environmental challenges associated with the accumulation of waste and the exploitation of natural resources. In this way, as awareness of the importance of the circular economy and the reduction of resource consumption increases, upcycling gains weight as an innovative and creative practice that contributes to promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact.

Upcycling and recycling are two different approaches to tackle the management of materials and waste products, each one with its own characteristics. Although both aim to reduce the environmental impact of our actions, there are differences in three main aspects:

• Objectives

While it is true that recycling and upcycling are based on the idea of reducing our ecological footprint, the two practices differ in their particular objectives. The former uses an industrial process to transform waste into raw materials that will later be used to produce new objects or materials. However, upcycling focuses on creative reuse, thus recovering waste and moving away from linear economy models.

• Transformation process

In recycling, waste is broken down by applying different processes ranging from collection and sorting, through crushing and separation, to reconversion. The ultimate goal is to obtain recycled materials that will be used in the manufacturing of new products. But if we talk about upcycling, the process is based on creativity by applying different techniques and methods depending on the materials and the desired end product which, in any case, involves waste recovery.

• Value of resulting products

The resulting products of upcycling usually have a greater value than the orginal materials, since they have been transformed in a creative manner and unique characteristics have been added. However, in the case of recycling, the formula doesn't imply a recovery of the materials but rather focuses on extending their useful life by converting them back into raw materials.

Having a clear idea of what upcycling is, the answer could not be more emphatic: yes, upcycling is sustainable, and not for one, but for several reasons. The commitment to giving a new life to waste and materials reduces waste that ends up in landfills and contributes to mitigating environmental pollution and the degradation of the environment. At Repsol, for example, we use bitumens and emulsions with rejuvenators produced in-house that allow us to recycle and reuse already deteriorated road pavements, thus managing to reduce asphalt waste and extending their useful life.  

Moreover, upcycling promotes the creative and efficient use of resources, something that favors the conservation of raw materials while it reduces the energy consumption associated with the extraction and production of new materials. By extending the life cycle of the products, upcycling also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the promotion of a more sustainable circular economy.

The recycling of oil to create renewable fuels is one of Repsol's commitments in terms of upcycling. As well as applying the principles of the circular economy for the manufacturing of lubricants, in recent months a number of collection points for used cooking oil have been launched at its service stations in the Madrid region and Galicia. The company is part of the Mulleres Colleiteiras project, an initiative that allows the sustainable management of this domestic waste that, once treated, will be reused for the production of 100% renewable fuels.

The commitment to the use and transformation of waste and materials has a practical application beyond the energy sector. From fashion and interior design to the food industry, there are many examples in succession. In each and every one of them, creativity is the driving force behind the commitment to the environment.

In the field of fashion, for example, old or discarded garments can be transformed into new pieces of clothing, accessories, or even works of art. To do this, techniques such as cutting, sewing, dyeing, and decorating are used to give a new life to textile materials. 

Interior designers, for their part, for years have been creating furniture and decorations from materials and objects initially conceived for other purposes, promoting what is known as upcycling design. This approach to interior design -more sustainable and conscious-, is revealed in the creation of lamps made with bottles, doors turned into headboards, suitcases transformed into bedside tables... And there is still more.

The food industry also joins these proposals. Some examples of upcycling in food have to do with the use of by-products or food waste to create new food products or ingredients. Fruit and vegetable waste, for example, can be used to make jellies. There are beers made from surplus bread and even bagasse from the same that is transformed into animal feed and, in other cases, even into cereal bars as a snack. In this way, food waste is reduced and the available resources are used to the fullest.

In short, both upcycling and recycling are keys in different sectors and the energy sector isn't an exception. In the field of energy, both involve a series of transformation processes that allow to make the most of the resources available more efficiently and reduce the environmental impact associated with the production and consumption of the same.