upcycle

verb up·cy·cle \ ˈəp-ˌsī-kəl \

|Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of upcycle

upcycled; upcycling

: to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item : to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value)

The line upcycles single-use plastic bags that are cleaned and brought in from Bali, Indonesia, and parts of California for use as the main material in the shoes. In the company's first year more than 175,000 plastic bags were reused to create footwear and accessories.
—Melissa Magsaysay

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upcycling

noun

Recent Examples of upcycle from the Web

Since 2013, students at Pratt Institute have had to upcycle clothes into new designs.

— ray a. smith, WSJ, "Today’s Chic Look? ‘Upcycled’ Clothes," 14 Apr. 2018
Whiskertin originated when Novak, who had been in the heating, venting and air conditioning business for two decades, saw a leftover piece of pipe and wanted to upcycle it into a light fixture.

— nikki delamotte, cleveland.com, "Akron's Whiskertin Lighting opens new showroom (photos)," 11 Apr. 2018
On Sunday, March 11 at the Manchester Historical Society's Cheney Homestead on Hartford Road, visitors got a hands-on opportunity to upcycle their own old cloth rags into a community rag rug project.

— annie gentile, Courant Community, "Rag Rug Project Upcycles Old Cloth," 22 Mar. 2018
Novak had been in the heating, venting and air conditioning business for two decades when a leftover piece of pipe sparked the idea to attempt to upcycle it into a light fixture.

— nikki delamotte, cleveland.com, "Rock 'n' roll meets industrial decor in Akron's Whiskertin Lighting (photos)," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upcycle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.