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UPCYCLING IN FASHION AND TEXTILE

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ISBN: 978-93-91903-68-8
UPCYCLING IN FASHION AND TEXTILE

Asst. Prof. Meeta Kharadi

Assistant Professor, Parul Institute of Design, Parul University

Abstract - Making or creatively enhancing any product out of used

materials to generate something of higher quality or value than its parts
has recently been recommended by many as a strategy to reduce waste;
however, it is still only minimally effective. The most important question
right now is how to bring this fringe practice into the mainstream so that
it benefits from sustainable production and consumption and has a
stronger impact on society and the environment. Upcycling is our
fundamental value. The term "upcycling," is well-known and used to
describe a common plan activity that can be used to make better and
more efficient use of waste materials to protect and conserve natural
resources. Understanding the characteristics that affect upcycling is
essential for creating effective scaling-up change strategies. In this
chapter, the area of social growth is introduced, along with a list of
factors and an examination of contemporary aspects. Upcycling is the
practice taking something and turning it into something valuable,
eventually viewing it as trash and throwing it away. To better develop
this area, this chapter covered and summarized upcycling, concentrating
on various definitions, trends in practices, benefits, and downsides in a
variety of key topics.
Keywords: Upcycling, sustainability, leftover, Fabric scra.

1 UPCYCLING
Our fundamental value is upcycling. Upcycling, often referred to as
creative reuse, is the process of repurposing leftovers, waste products,
unnecessary items, or unwanted items to make new materials or items
that are thought to be of higher quality, such as items with artistic and
environmental value. In a word, it is a process for turning waste
materials into goods of the same quality or better. This is a reference to
the inventive recycling of worn textiles in the fashion industry. But we
frequently use natural resources, transform them into valuable items,
and then eventually discard them as trash. Upcycling can be defined as
the process of taking something that is throwaway and turning it into
something more valuable. Therefore, upcycling involves improving upon
what is currently available. An object no longer has value when it is

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Discarded, and it must be disposed of for it to enter a new cycle of
production & value creation, yet upcycling refutes both claims.
The technique has to do with repurposing existing materials,
usually referred to as waste materials, and giving them a new purpose or
life without having to spend a lot of money on purchasing new resources.
In other words, it reinvents the old. This approach is used not just to
improve living quality but also to offer newly created products a greater
sense of environmental value. Additionally, it will raise the creation's
aesthetic worth. Designers should use their imagination to develop a new
product using the least amount of resources possible.
During upcycling, the manufacturing process also alters. Typically,
the designer first looks for production leftovers or fabric to utilize before
creating a sketch, reversing the conventional method of designing and
putting clothes into production.
Although the process of upcycling has existed for centuries, the
fashion industry is only now beginning to embrace it. The main goal of
upcycling, which is focused on sustainable consumerism, is to revitalize
existing materials by arranging them differently and offering new uses
for them while maintaining their original qualities as a key component of
the process that adds value. Upcycling therefore also focuses on
reevaluating and recombining to open the door for originality and value
creation. Don’t throw anything away. There is no ‘away’.

1.1 What Things can be Easily Upcycled?

Materials that would normally be thrown away can be recycled, including
cardboard, tin, glass, textiles, and plastic packaging. The only limitation is
your imagination!
Upcycling things at home is probably easier than you might think
because you presumably already have tonnes of goods laying around that
can be used again and again. Essentially, you use an existing resource in a
different way. For example, you might use old glass bottles as lamps or
vases by adding fairy lights to them.

2 UPCYCLING VS. RECYCLING:

2.1. When Compared to Recycling, Why is Upcycling more
Environmentally Friendly?
Undoubtedly, recycling and upcycling are two different things. Recycling
involves separating waste into its component parts and utilizing it as a
raw material source to make new products. However, upcycling allows
for the reuse of waste products in their current state without having to
break them down into their basic components.
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In essence, upcycling is a more sophisticated kind of reuse. Instead
of simply repurposing an outdated product, we focus on its aspects.
Reusing discarded materials to create new products that are more
sophisticated, valuable, or high-quality than the original is known as this
method. However, the more well-known and extensive recycling is
referred to as "downcycling."
The important thing to remember is that the most of recycling just
calls for sorting usable raw materials from trashed products. To do this,
waste is disassembled into its constituent parts. The finished products
made from plastics and other synthetic materials are often inferior to the
raw resources. Upcycling aims to use fewer readily accessible basic
materials and reduce waste by utilizing resources that already exist.
Both recycling and upcycling work to cut down on the quantity of
garbage that goes into landfills, but upcycling turns the same waste into
higher-quality goods, whereas recycling marginally degrades the quality
of certain materials.

2.2 Why Upcycling is Better to Other Ideas Like Recycling?

According to one of the article by times of India, The distinction between
upcycled and recycled products is frequently misunderstood by
customers and newly established fashion enterprises. However, the two
terms are not the same. In the recycling process, used clothing and
textiles are broken down into materials depending on their fiber
structure, structure, and Colour so they can be recycled to make new
clothing and textile.
However, upcycling involves repairing and enhancing the "same
clothing" to give the entire discarded item a new life. Upcycling is
becoming a popular alternative among consumers as the inventive reuse
of a garment, mending previously bought clothing, or refurbishment
through dyeing, bleaching, and washing procedures are now! In
comparison to other sustainable concepts like recycling, these
repurposed clothing have a smaller negative environmental impact in
terms of energy use, water use, fewer chemicals, and hazardous gas
emissions. Through take-back programmes, a few international firms
have started a post-consumer upcycling initiative utilising waste from
the clothing industry.

2.3 What Practices are Now Popular In Upcycling?

Szaky contends that even if the phrase "upcycling" is a neologism, the
activity of turning trash or used materials into more valuable or high-
quality objects has been going on for thousands of years. Reuse and
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upcycling were widespread techniques before the Industrial Revolution,
according to Szaky, and are currently more prevalent in underdeveloped
countries due to their lack of resources. However, because repurposed
materials are currently more marketable and cheaper than new ones,
wealthy nations have recently given object/product upcycling more
attention from a business perspective. For instance, more than 400
commercial goods made from recycled materials were produced in the
United States in 2011.
Therefore, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
oversees the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard, which directs
designers and manufacturers through a continuous improvement
process for products in terms of material health, material reutilization,
renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and
social fairness. Braungart also adds the elements of lease and take-back
systems enabling firms to more efficiently reuse commodities.

2.4 Why Feel Hesitate to Upcycle Clothing?

The way that the clothing industry is now run is very wasteful and
heavily polluting. Recent predictions from watchdogs place the textile
industry's share of global emissions at around 10%, which is greater than
the sum of its contributions from shipping and air travel.
A pair of pants and a t-shirt may be made from one kilograms of
cotton, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which requires 20,000
liters of freshwater. We may anticipate significant changes to the
business over the next 10 to 20 years, given that farming uses 70% of all
freshwater. The industry functions like a conveyer belt, using
tremendous amounts of resources to produce garments that are worn for
a brief period before being discarded in landfills. Breaking the cycle of
trash and environmental harm by upcycling is possible.

3 UPCYCLING BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR

Your favorite things can be saved so that you will enjoy them even more.
This procedure is enjoyable and imaginative. Finding the perfect purpose
for items and creating such a rework may be just as fascinating as
starting from zero when it comes to sewing. It enables financial savings.
Often, it is less expensive to redo an existing item than to acquire a new
one or to sew it from start. For people who are concerned about the
environment, it is crucial. The upcycling philosophy may likely be
appealing to you if you are against mindless consumption or simply
dislike throwing away items that still have use.

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Celebrities, a significant source of inspiration for millennials, have
supported sustainable fashion initiatives by embracing low-impact and
eco-friendly ideas. At Revibe, we've been getting more and more requests
from celebrities and artists to work with us to create distinctive designs
that are also sustainable.

3.1 Upcycling is Becoming more Popular In Luxury Houses

Nowadays the top luxury fashion houses are preferring to create new
clothes using previously owned materials because they support ethical
principles. Even Hermes seeks to recycle with a studio with the sole goal
of giving neglected waste materials a new life. Prada introduces the Re-
Nylon in its new collection, Upcycled by Miu-Miu is the new concept of
revisiting old looks from the 1930s to the 1980s. A substantial shift in the
sector, a step toward a true cultural revolution.

4 HOW THE GARMENT BUSINESS IS BECOMING MORE SUSTAINABLE

THANKS TO UPCYCLING
Brands and stores are figuring out methods to introduce upcycling as the
push to adopt sustainable practices grows. Labels like RE/DONE, which
focuses primarily on denim; Urban Outfitters, which has its very own
upcycling spin-off line called Urban Renewal, which transforms dead
stock or surplus materials into fashionable clothing; ASOS Reclaimed,
whose line is inspired by classic shapes, style icons, and old-school street
brands; and Zara, which is reselling clothing by upcycling it are just a few
examples.
Now that many are embracing the ideas of upcycling with a
newfound vigor, it's not just the international giants like H&M, Zara, and
Urban Outfitters that have discovered this new trend. The Indian fashion
industry has as well.
1. Refash: The idea for Refash was created after Akanksha Kaila Akashi
discovered the upcycling technique at a workshop and saw how
simple it was to re-love unwanted clothing. She discovered that there
are many companies already making products out of rubbish after
doing research on the brands and designers who are producing
upcycled goods. The upcycling sector lacked a unifying platform that
would connect them all and give it the fervour of a movement.
2. Pomogrenade: An ethical brand that specializes in making clothes
for different body types and has its headquarters in Bengaluru. You
may see images of men and women wearing their clothing and
accessories on the streets on their website. Their collection of

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ISBN: 978-93-91903-68-8
repurposed kimonos constructed from patching together leftover
cloth from Ants Crafts, a nonprofit organization.
3. RaasLeela: A Gujarat-based brand that uses kora cotton and an all-
female artisan workforce to make breathable, cozy, and classic
clothes. Their objective is to expand on the idea of the Indian capsule
wardrobe.
4. The Second Life: The Second Life is a product development
initiative started by Studio ABCD in Bengaluru that creates
stationery, gifting, and utility products out of scraps like used
newspapers, tire tubes, printing press margin waste, movie and
political posters, paper boards, used coffee grounds, and recycled
felt.
5. Doodlage: Doodlage is a brand that sources materials that are left
unused by other retailers and is renowned for the flawless fusion of
sustainability and innovation. Each of these pieces, each with a
different story, can be seen coming together in their ensembles.
Above mentioned and some other brands also that claim to use
100% recycled or upcycled materials in their collections. As the
upcycling movement gains momentum, India is also seeing an increase in
knowledge-sharing platforms that are proactively addressing the
demand for sustainable fashion.
It is crucial to recognize some of the seasoned professionals who
are leading the charge for eco-friendly clothing in India and therefore are
unapologetically making upcycling now next big thing. The sustainable
fashion activists in India, such as Naresh Tyagi from Aditya Birla Fashion
and Retail, Kaustubh Korde from Myntra, Ruchita Chhabra from The
Sourcery, Shailesh Kumar Sharma from SGS, Ajay Ravuri from Arvind,
Suvidha Chopra from adidas, Prasad Pant from ZDHC, and others, are
driving the upcycling movement in the Indian fashion industry and
setting new standards for a sustainable and fashionable Bharat

5 THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF UPCYCLING

The main goal of upcycling, like other types of recycling, is waste
reduction. New landfills are being built as existing ones reach critical
capacity in both developed and developing nations. It has been difficult
to designate and use a land for trash disposal as it is a significant source
of air, water, and land pollution, harming the environment and
surrounding communities.
However, one benefit of upcycling, particularly if performed on a
large scale, is the ability to lower waste and avoid turning needless land
into landfills. Naturally, because its goal is to transform waste into rising
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products, it also lessens the need to mine limited resources of nature for
natural resources and other industrial inputs. This recycling method has
significant potential for both environmental and financial gains.
The benefits of upcycling for the environment are substantial. It
also minimizes the demand for production utilizing new or raw
resources, reducing emissions, water and air pollution, greenhouse
emissions, and frequently leading to resource conservation. This reduces
the quantity of garbage and material that are discarded of in landfills
each year as well as the requirement for production.
The advantages of upcycling were explored in light of the three
pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social
sustainability.

1. Upcycling has Positive Environmental Effects

Many companies and designers nowadays are creating some truly
fascinating things from vintage materials. Many things that were once
headed for the trash can have been salvaged by some very inventive
folks. We are so used to having things mass produced and created in an
instant that we buy items and discard them in rapid succession. By
recycling existing resources, we may produce goods without using any
new raw materials. The amount of cotton required to make one t-shirt is
2,700 liters.

2. Upcycling has Many Economic and Social Benefits

Every upcycled product has a manufacturer that firmly believes in the
kind of craftsmanship that is just no longer prevalent. Upcycling also
promotes rural village industries and small local companies, which has
positive social and economic effects. Reusing materials in the creation of
products can significantly lower a designer's manufacturing expenses.

3. Upcycling Has Social/Personal Advantages

Nothing compares to the nice, fuzzy feeling you receive inside after doing
something wonderful for the environment. Skilled and experienced
repair ability. It takes enormous expertise and satisfaction to restore
something and give it new life. Having truly one-of-a-kind items is always
lovely, whether you upcycled things yourself or purchase items from
designers.

5.1 Additional Advantages are Listed Below:

1. Rare materials are sometimes used in particular industries. For
instance, encouraging the use of recycled consumer electronics
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devices and components in the technology sector lowers the danger
of scarcity that could disrupt the supply chains of tech companies.
2. Environmentalists refer to the procedure as a countermeasure to
mass production and consumption. It can serve as a source of
company ideas and business models, and it encourages customers to
depend less on large, multinational corporations. A number of
companies have been set up specifically to collect and classify
garbage items or process waste parts to repurpose them.
3. Many business owners have based their operations on creating and
selling upcycled goods. These companies range from third-party
distributors to clothing boutiques to stores selling furniture for the
home and office.
4. Another benefit of upcycling that it is a crucial part of a circular
economy, which maximizes the use of resources by extracting the
most value from them while they are being utilized and repurposing
or returning them to their original roles afterward
Upcycling is not always an easy procedure, despite the benefits and
applications listed above. When used in art and design, it takes creativity
and a certain amount of unconventionality to turn an undesirable
product into a valuable work of art. In addition, unlike traditional art
forms, the procedure also demands some technical proficiency.
The cost and advantage of upcycling must be considered for
commercial and industrial applications, particularly if the process of
reusing an unused product would require a significant amount of
resources or, especially, if the method is more time-consuming and
expensive than creating a product from scratch.

5.2 Certain Drawbacks are Listed Below:

According to the level of upcycling (industrial vs. individual), industry
kinds, and contextual circumstances, there are numerous and diverse
drawbacks and hurdles to upcycling. More studies are required to
identify systemic problems to be addressed in order to guarantee the
success of upcycling in terms of environmental, economic, and social
implications. Upcycling has some drawbacks, including a high price tag.
In some cases, the costs associated with the upcycling process may
exceed the value of the recycled product or the cost of creating a brand-
new item from scratch from virgin raw materials.
Other concerns seem to largely be connected to a lack of upcycling
awareness or knowledge. According to McDonough and Braungart,
businesses are apprehensive about making changes because they think
they will be difficult to implement, expensive, or that they lack the
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necessary knowledge. Additionally, incorrect terminology and
perception of upcycling-related ideas could have unintendedly
detrimental environmental effects. According to Eder-Hansen and his
coworkers, a further significant hurdle may be that consumers are
unaware of their options when it comes to disposing of their products
after their useful lives.
• Because it requires too much energy, some items or parts cannot be
upcycled. To be more explicit, in some circumstances, processing
some materials may require more energy than others, rendering the
entire effort ineffective and unsustainable.
• When comparing the costs and benefits, two key considerations
should be taken into account: how much resources and energy are
needed to transform the rejected goods, and how do they compare to
manufacturing from scratch.

6 UPCYCLING HAS BECOME "THE NEW NORMAL."

The fashion industry must become more environmentally friendly by
reusing existing materials. Textiles account for the majority of
greenhouse gas emissions. According to Sarah Arnold, co-founder of
Fashion Act Now, "We have enough textiles we have already made, yet
we still make a ton of clothing from virgin materials."
In the fashion sector, overproduction is a major issue that must be
addressed. According to Lantink, it's crucial that big stores reconsider
how much apparel they actually purchase. They must alter their way of
thinking.
For huge labels to finally embrace upcycling, though, might be a
significant move in the right direction, especially if it emerges as the new
fashion standard.

7 CONCLUSION
Upcycling can extend the life of a product by repurposing it or making
another product from it. Why waste if upcycling encourages innovation
and self-improvement? Upcycling is definitely a challenge, but it is also a
great opportunity because it saves you a lot of money and energy.
Everyone can learn how to use this skill because it offers the most
straightforward way to make use of the things already in one's
possession to change the objects in a space and decorate it. It also
increases public awareness of how important it is to protect the
environment from pollution and other issues. The practice of upcycling
encourages greater appreciation for objects while preserving them as
closely as possible to their original features without changing the
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material's chemical and physical characteristics. The conclusions of the
above mentioned chapter may not be all-inclusive in terms of the
commercial viability of recycled goods, but they do point in the right
directions for scalable and successful. The process affects both people
and nature, so everyone wins.

REFERENCES
1. Ali, Nawwar Shukriah, Nuur Farhana Khairuddin, and Shahriman Zainal Abidin.
"Upcycling: Re-use and recreate functional interior space using waste
materials." DS 76: Proceedings of E&PDE 2013, the 15th International
Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, Dublin, Ireland, 05-
06.09. 2013. 2013.
2. McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle to cradle: Remaking the
way we make things. North point press, 2010.
3. Braungart, Michael. "Upcycle to eliminate waste." Nature 494.7436 (2013):
174-175.
4. Hartman, Lauren R. "Talking trash: 'Upcycle'to recycle." Packaging Digest 45.9
(2014): 42-50.
5. Paras, Manoj Kumar, and Antonela Curteza. "Revisiting upcycling phenomena: a
concept in clothing industry." Research Journal of Textile and Apparel 22.1
(2018): 46-58.
6. Slotegraaf, Rebecca J. "Keep the door open: Innovating toward a more
sustainable future." Journal of Product Innovation Management 29.3 (2012):
349-351.
7. Szaky, Tom. Outsmart waste: The modern idea of garbage and how to think our
way out of it. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2014.
8. Vadicherla, Thilak, and Dhandapani Saravanan. "Textiles and apparel
development using recycled and reclaimed fibers." Roadmap to sustainable
textiles and clothing. Springer, Singapore, 2014. 139-160.
9. Wegener, Charlotte. "Upcycling." Creativity—A New Vocabulary. Palgrave
Macmillan, London, 2016. 181-188.
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brands-gear-up-for-upcycling/articleshow/[Link] Deepak Mohindra,
Chairman of Apparel Resources

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18. [Link]
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