The sustainability of upcycling comes from both the reduction in buying and saving products from being discarded, said Marco van Hees, lecturer of circular business engineering and senior researcher of urban upcycling at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
“We’re just using things and throwing them away or even burning them –– which is maybe even the worst that you can do,” he said.
Trash has overwhelmed cities, and incinerating the refuse can release toxic material into the environment, van Hees said. And recycling products after they have been discarded isn’t always the best alternative.
Upcycling