Definition of upcycle
upcycled
;upcycling
transitive verb
: 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
upcycling
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of upcycle from the Web
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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.
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.
First Known Use of upcycle
1994
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