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"Upcycling" is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of equal or better quality. The term was originally coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their book Category: Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things - . The goal of upcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials by making use of existing ones. This reduces the consumption of new raw materials when creating new products. Reducing the use of new raw materials can result in a reduction of energy usage, air pollution, water pollution and even greenhouse gas emissions.

Upcycling is the opposite of downcycling, which is the other half of the recycling process. Downcycling involves converting materials and products into new materials of lesser quality. Most recycling involves converting or extracting useful materials from a product and creating a different product or material.Wastes - Resource Conservation - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. "[http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm]". Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2009-12-03

For example, during the recycling process of plastics other than those used to create bottles, many different types of plastics are mixed together, resulting in a hybrid. This hybrid, marked by the chasing arrows symbol and the number 7, is used in the manufacturing of bottles and in plastic lumber applications.Wikipedia. resin identification code. Recycling, downcycling, and upcycling are considered to be a ?less bad? environmental approach.

In developing countries, where new raw materials are often expensive, upcycling is commonly practiced, largely due to impoverished conditions.

Upcycling has seen an increase in use due to its current marketability and the lowered cost of reused materials.Goldsmith, Belinda (2009-09-30). "Trash or treasure? Upcycling becomes growing green trend". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-12-02