Upcycling and recycling - The future of design by Dave Nemeth

We keep hearing about green and eco design as well as the terms recycling and upcycling, what do these two terms refer to and how are we seeing their development in furniture and decor? Like many of these "eco" terms they are often misused in order to increase sales and give consumers a false sense that they are purchasing an item that has been manufactured in a responsible manner. We will take a look at some of this terminology and how we may see these processes used in decoartive accessories as well as furniture manufacture. 

Let’s begin with the term recycling. Recycling is taking a product or the material from which it is made and breaking down its properties to totally recreate a new product, material or item. A good example of this would be glass that is smelt down and reformed into vases or decoaritve tiles. Another example is taking metal pieces from one item and putting them through a process to transform these alloys and again create a new product. It is important to undertsand that although this is far better than than using a totally new product, it still leaves a carbon footprint due to the mechanical processes it must undergo in order to achieve a new final product. We often see items for sale with labels on stating that the products are made from 100% recyclable material, at this point however the product has not as yet had a positive influence on the environment. 

Upcycling on the other hand is generally the most eco friendly method of manufacture and differs from recycled in the fact that an item or material is taken and turned into another product without breaking down the initial properties of the item or material. Let’s me explain some great examples that I have come across locally in a variety of great stores as well as decor expo's. The first one that left a great impression was a series of lampshades that were made from the pages of old books; these were simply folded in different ways to create the most interesting shades. A talented designer in Cape Town takes old thrown away plastic bottels and cuts these up by hand into different shapes to create the most amazing chandeliers, which in themselves are truely a work of art. Upcycling can also be as simple as taking an old second hand piece of furniture, an armoire for instance that has dated and has little appeal and by simply painting it in a bright "on trend " colour, adding some modern handles and putting on a modern glass top; this old and almost ugly item has now been transformed into a special new piece of furniture that would create a focal point in any home.

We are seeing a lot of decor and home stores in the States and Europe adopting these principles, and actually buying up old second hand furniture and employing craftsmen to change the appearance and then selling these to consumers as limited edition "once off" pieces, which is exactly what they are. Their carbon footprint in manufacturing these new pieces is almost zero and a great way to go when looking for that "something special" for the home.

Another term we are seeing, in wooden items specifically is the term reclaimed. This term too is not understood by all and again often used as a marketing tool to increase the value of the item and make it sound appealing to the consumer. Reclaimed, refers to timber that has been sold and used by a consumer or within a building and after many years it is taken and used in its near exact form in another piece of timber furniture. A great example of this would be old oak flooring that has been lifted, laminated together, cut to size and used to manufacture a table. It may also be old wooden window frames from a building that have been transformed into beautiful mirror or picture frames. These products are generally quite expensive, depending on the age of the timber as well as the type of timber that has been used. They do however have an appeal to them that you would not normally find in a product that has been made in so called "new" timber. In items made from real reclaimed timber, one will generally see a variety of flaws and wear in the wood and often old nails and bolts are left the way they were in order to enhance the overall aesthetic of the product.

It is really important to understand these terms and to be on the lookout for furnishings that have been made in these ways. It is equally important to ask the correct questions when buying something that is being promoted as recycled, upcycled or reclaimed.