Recycling is good, but upcycling is better! Recycling is turning what we normally throw away into something we can use again either, in its current form or as something else. Upcycling is taking something we normally recycle and transforming it into something more valuable.
We create too much waste, and upcycling is a fun way to reduce the amount of garbage we generate. In this project, students will create upcycled items for their own use, to give as gifts, or to sell as a fundraiser for a conservation or community organization.
The enormity of some environment issues, like clean air and renewable energy, make it hard for young students to understand how to take specific action. Recycling, on the other hand, is “old-hat” to today’s students who have grown up recycling and have known the difference between the garbage can and recycling bin since preschool.
Introduce your students to the difference between recycling and upcycling. Recycling is taking an item and using the materials in it again. For example, when plastic bottles are recycled into stuffing for winter jackets.
Upcycling involves reusing an item in such a way that its value is increased. Students may have seen upcycling examples like wallets made from candy wrappers or rag rugs made from cast-off fabric scraps.
Ask your students if they know of any other items that have been upcycled. If they are having trouble coming up with ideas, you can explore some examples of upcycling online, but the goal of this project is to use design thinking methods in a maker space environment to design their own.
If students need additional exposure to concepts of recycling, start the unit by sharing and discussing the time it takes for garbage to decompose in the environment.
Let students know they will be creating their own upcycled items to use personally, to give as gifts, or to sell to raise funds for a conservation group or community organization.
Before students can begin creating, you need to collect materials and design a space where students can work.
Work with your students to create a list of items they can find at home that they may be able to use in their designs. For example:
The used items students find must be clean. It can take some time to collect materials, so consider sharing a list of basic items with families a week or two in advance. Once you start discussions with students, they will think of additional ideas of things to bring, but you will have a good set of materials to start with.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” - William Morris
In addition to needing space to store the materials, you need to think about adequate production space. Some schools are fortunate enough to have a Maker Space, but just about any space, such as a multipurpose room, an unused classroom, or even a hallway will work as your temporary Maker headquarters.
You will need supplies to support your designers. Basic tools like paper, pencils, rulers, tape, paint, and scissors are available at almost any school. If possible, supplement these supplies with items they may not have used before, like wire, Mod Podge, sewing needles and other fasteners, twine, yarn, and ribbons. Be sure to discuss safety when using new tools and adhesives.
Form small design teams of 4-5 students. Remind teams that their task is to design a product from items that would otherwise end up in the trash or recycling.
You might encourage them to consider designing a specific type of object, like a toy or decorative item, or have them start by thinking of a person they’d like to make a gift for, such as a friend or parent.
Teams should begin by brainstorming. Don’t limit the brainstorming process to thinking, talking, and list making! Teams can also brainstorm by collecting objects they think are interesting and combining them to see what happens. As they begin playing with objects and materials, team members can contribute new ideas and move in new and different directions. Encourage teams, or individual team members, to observe the design process of othe