From reclaimed lumber accessories to collaborative artisan cushions, these upcycled purpose products take the old and hackneyed phrase of "one man's trash is another man's treasure" and make it, well, new.
For some of the organizations featured here, such as Bikeworks, upcycling (or recycling) is simply one part of the story. That is to say, Bikeworks, based in East London sells refurbished bikes to the public but its main service is to run its all-ability cycling program in the city.
One of the smaller but perhaps also larger questions becomes: are upcycled purpose products just a euphemism for recycling? What's the difference in actuality? Is it simply part of a push, perhaps almost green-washing push, in order to "rebrand" recycling? This top list, because of the types of organizations featured, would probably praise the term itself.
- Gen Z
- Gen Alpha
- Millennial (primary audience)
- Gen X (primary audience)
