Eco trend upcycling in art, fashion and interior design

In a world in which the environmental pairs increase massively every year, new lifestyle, wellness and fashion trends are created, which are characterized by their sustainable character.

This is the case in upcycling (also Eco-Cycling ), a trend that is not necessarily new, but experienced another high in 2021.

Driven by movements such as Fridays for future, increasing environmental disasters, the noticeable consequences of global warming and ubiquitous discussions, the topic of sustainability and environmental compatibility has pushed itself to the center of our daily life.

Hardly any consumer, producer, company, artist or designer can further escape the topic. The protection and maintenance of our blue planet with its complex ecosystems is no longer optional, but has become an imperative of our thinking and acting. And that's a good thing, after all, according to no less expert statements, it has long been five to twelve.

If you want to turn your back on the disposable consumption loop from the manufacturer or producer view, you try to use existing materials and resources that were at best intended for a form of recycling and to breathe new life through recycling-often in wonderful, original and extraordinary designs.

But is eco-cycling always sustainable? How does upcycling actually work?

Let's start from the front ...

The problem: disposable mentality in the affluent society

Don't let us talk about it: we live in a throw -away company. Things often end up in the trash prematurely or unnecessarily, even though we waste resources and damage the environment.

We live in an overflow company in which more goods and goods are offered than are necessary. In addition, there is a lifestyle that is aimed at satisfying the need for consumption and new consumer goods as quickly and immediately.

The permanent, apparently never -ending range of goods leads to many things thrown away or disposed of too early. Often it is not even considered whether the purchased product is actually used.

The economy and industry (i.e. the producer side) can only fulfill the need for consumption by the throw -away company by keeping mass production going. It has to use natural resources such as water, energy and many other raw materials.

This waste of resources inevitably goes hand in hand with the exploitation of our planet and massive pollution.

The problems of the throw-away company are particularly evident in the textile industry-but also for furniture, decorative objects and much more.

The article "Against the Guard Society: that helps" sums up the relationships and its effects for nature and humans.

Fortunately, the author Annika Reketat does not leave us in the rain, but delivers meaningful, understandable and, above all, for all implementable advice to make his own contribution.

How could it come to the throw -away company? A little digression

The throw -away company originated in the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, when mass production got rolling in the course of western industrialization. Objects could be produced and sold cheaper if they were made from inferior materials and in series. The lower lifespan and the logical consequence of having to buy products more and more often became the "foundation" for economic stability and prosperity.

This lifestyle, which was aimed at mass consumption, spilled over the large pond to Germany between the 1950s and 1970s.

Today the throw -away company is firmly established in the countries of the global north. Cheap and mass production have prevailed and with the help of planned obsolescence, growth can be driven.

The fast-fashion industry not only converts obsolescence with the help of inferior materials, but also by creating and applying a new trend after the other. At the same time, no spare parts are kept ready even for high -quality products so that you have to buy new products again and again. A prominent example of this is non -repairable, firmly built -in batteries in smartphones.

The good news: there are alternative business concepts and consumption behavior in order to effectively oppose the throw -away company. They are characterized by reflection on economy, material freedom, mindfulness, appreciation and the knowledge that objects often have a much higher price than shown on the price tag.

In addition to frugalism , minimalism , and mindfulness , second-hand and upcycling also come into play.

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is a number of techniques that are worn out, used, used or damaged objects, clothing and materials by converting them into a high -quality product.

In other words, it makes it new, but better. Hence the literal meaning of the term upcycling "recycling up".

The difference between upcycling and recycling is this: In contrast to recycling, upcycling is an aesthetically more appealing transformation process that gives the end product added value. A recycled product requires intervention by experts because it consumes energy but does not benefit from a higher quality than the original product.

And sometimes upcycling does a lot more than to change, it reinvents it ...

A real rebirth of the product can be a completely new type of use, sometimes very far from the original use.

As a clear example, we take a glass bottle that was reinvented as an original vase; A surfboard that is now celebrating its new existence as a coffee table, old boxes as shelves or pieces of furniture, colorful clothing (often patchwork) from different fabrics (or fabric residues).

This is the soul of upcycling! True to the meaning of the French chemist and natural scientist Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier :

Nothing is lost, nothing arises, everything turns. "

In fact, everything can be upgear (or it means "pretending"). A little inspiration, creativity and imagination ... and that's it!

Everyone can try upcycling.

Fleeping straw fire or came to stay? A quick look back

In order to better understand whether upcycling is a temporary fashion or a sustainable turning turn when thinking, we travel back in the past for almost 3 decades - with the help of an article by the independent : "Upcycling: is this eco trend here?" For the interior design expert Emily Jenkinson.

In 1994, Reiner Pilz from the German Technology Company Pilz GmbH revealed his aversion to the recycling that was prevailed at that time in an interview with Thornton Kay von Salvo:

I call it downcycling. They smash pieces, they destroy everything. What we need is upcycling, in which old products are more important and no less value. ”

fashion industry in the nineties for these years .

According to Angus Middleton, the then director of the Environmental Advice Renaissance Regeneration and founder of ecoboom.co.uk (no longer active),

However, it is often incorrectly used as a sexy name for the renovation of old furniture, a bit like 'pre-loved' instead of second-hand or 'modern antique' instead of scrap. It should relate to take the components of an unnecessary object and create a new, useful object from it, by reducing the use of new goods. ”

In addition to the usual PR geriatra and corporate greenwashing of some companies, you can retrospectively state that there are more and more designers, manufacturers and creative people who do real upcycling.

Upcycling means that sustainability is an integral part of the object and lifestyle that it belongs to. It also stirs up creative processes, ie it helps us to see everyday things in a completely new way.

Upcycling as part of a sustainable trend

As addressed at the beginning, environmental topics have become a weighty part of the collective consciousness of society. Habits change and also practices: We avoid waste, we sort and separate our garbage and try to reduce our waste.

So upcycling comes at exactly the right time. By using old materials, the use of new raw materials and the production of waste are largely avoided. Nothing should be thrown away.

The trend appears as an ecological alternative to overconsum . And by creating new, often unique products, upcycling gives them a rare and exclusive character; A property that has been lost to many brands exporting worldwide through standardization.

International brands that have understood upcycling

More and more people are tempted by second-hand products to change course in their shopping behavior. Is the era of fast fashion soon over?

It is true that second-hand shops, flea markets and vintage shops have been experiencing a real upswing for some time. Vinted , the sales and exchange application for used clothing and accessories, is proof of this global enthusiasm with its 37 million users worldwide in early 2021.

A market with almost unlimited potential. Some representatives from industries around decoration, design and fashion have understood the signs of the times and the possibilities offered to them to get the exception of new-mach-new concept in a nutshell.

also rely on upcycling . Large fashion houses such as coach , Hermès , Balenciaga or Miu Miu have released eco-cycling pieces, even entire collections according to the second-hand concept.

Inspirational examples of sustainable fashion & accessories:

Les Récupérables

Les Récupérables is a fashion brand from France. Linen fabrics, mottled clothes and the end of textile rollers are only created four times a year, clothing collections in limited edition.

La vie est Belt

La vie est Belt is an accessories brand that recycled old bicycle tires and hoses to transform them into ultra-fashionable belts.

Friendly Frenchy

Friendly Frenchy produces 100% responsible sunglasses from mussels. Oysters and scallops are collected by restaurant owners and then transformed into chic and elegant sunglasses.

You can find this glasses at Seed, the first 100% ethical and sustainable optician in Belgium.

Extramuros studio

Atelier Extramuros is a socially and ecologically committed brand that designs and produces furniture made of timber or wood from waste -sorting systems. The materials are recycled and processed into tailor -made furniture for companies.

Mama africa

Martina Zenker from Düsseldorf runs a fair trade with unique, handmade products Mamaafrika It gives women in many countries Africa's work and sells the manufactured products in Germany and elsewhere at fair prices.

In the southern and eastern part of Africa, hundreds of women work in more than 40 workshops for fair wages - they secure their existence and that of their families. At the same time, traditional African techniques are preserved and passed on. And the results are really impressive.

Examples are a wart pig and many other African animals as sculptures made from recycled tin cans. I was particularly impressed by a fully functional, optically extraordinary radio made of recycled cans and wire.

Entre 2 rétros

Entre 2 Rétros is a brand that produces environmentally friendly and stylish bags, luggage and accessories from upcycling materials such as leather, car units and seat belts. Each collection is unique and is produced in a limited edition.

Lorrybag® Eco from Halfar

The bag expert Halfar gave discarded truck tarpaulins a second chance to remain "on the road" even after their first existence and to give Lorrybag Eco The PVC material is almost indestructible, waterproof and looks good.

They can also be printed with many art motifs and logos and thus ideally transport the image of the respective art event organizer.

Incidentally, Halfar is a member of the ÖKOPROFIT® Netz NRW. This initiative has committed to improving the ecological balance. She relies on the cooperation between companies, municipalities and experts in developing practical solutions.

QdeBOUTELLES

QdeBouteilles reinvented wine bottles. The brand turns you into decorative objects and brings a touch of originality to our home. Vases, egg cups, glasses and candles are the flagship products.

Upcycling in art - creative people from all over the world rely on the sustainable concept

If you quote the philosopher Odo Marquardt, there has always been no future for the artist without origin.

The core of today's upcycling can also be found in the Ready Mades by Marcel Duchamps and the Dadaists. Ducamp's “Bicycle Wheel” (1913), a front wheel and a fork attached to an ordinary stool, or his “fountain” (1917) (an ordinary urinal bought in a hardware store) are among the icons of this art.

The same applies to Pablo Picasso's “Bull Head” (1942), which was built from a used bicycle driver and saddle.

The creative and intelligent handling of existing material is obviously a more wider current of contemporary art. It holds the mirror of our throw-away society and addresses the resource awareness of a young, new generation, according to the German publisher and publicist Christiane Goetz-Wimer in the article "No future without origin-upcycling is a heart unit" .

The first upcycling art price , which includes over 1000 submissions from many countries in Europe and presents a best off on the Internet, offers an exciting overview.

The fact that the vast majority of submissions show enormous potency that is in the existing material. Center for Circular Art in Lübz grants more information about the submissions and the award winners (including the audience award) via their website at Zirckulaere-kunst.de.

Interesting candidates who deserve a closer look are, for example, the Mecklenburg women Ramona Seyfarth and Daniela Melzig . Seyfarth has converted snippets of old advertising brochures into a carpet, on which the guests then step around and keep changing and developing it.

Melzig has processed old windows, Eric Weiser (Leipzig) has cut old footballs worldwide and re-put together, also shaped reflectors into installations and pressed the match box cars flat and exhibited them as “insects”.

Several art machines by Willi Reiche (Bonn), a pixel image made of plastic, snicker and Mövenpick remains of Gudrun Staiger & Rudi Beutinger (Stuttgart) were just as exciting. The pixel image was baptized with the name “Ethiopia” and impressively sets a visual contrast to the abundance of the abundance and hunger.

Why art against garbage? #Zerowasteart also arose this question and presented an exhibition that wants to act as a key to inspecting our use of resources.

Consequently reducing garbage, minimizing your own consumption and at the same time experiencing this "waiver" as an enrichment - this is the philosophy of the project organizers behind the interactive art exhibition by Zero Waste.

In addition to this art prize, I also came across further remarkable creative and their ECO projects, of which I would like to mention a few separately:

Artur Bordalo, called Bordalo II

Upcycling art in large format: The Portuguese artist Artur Bordalo, called Bordalo II, gives the losers of our throw -away company a voice. He produces the size of the survival of garbage. His so -called Trash Mural impressions through their authenticity and strong message against plastic waste.

Christopher Fennell

The American artist Christopher Fennell built architectural skeletons from garbage objects. For example, he converted old barns into oversized pine cones and discarded baseball rackets. This can be seen in a park in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ha Schult

The German artist Ha Schult has created an entire "scrap" ("Trashpeople"). He pressed around 1,000 man-sized figures from old tin cans and sent the bizarre garbage sculptures on a journey around the world; From the Matterhorn, about the pyramids of Cairo, Gorleben, Rome, Paris, Moscow and Barcelona to the Chinese wall in 2002.

Earthship biotecture

"Earthships", for example "earth ships", are called houses that are built with the help of recycled materials. Their massive walls consist of old car tires filled with soil - the architects of Earthship Biotecture use the natural potential of earth to store heat.

The highlight: "Earthships" are independent of the large electricity suppliers and thus of environmentally harmful and fossil resources such as oil or coal, as they largely supply themselves: for example, water is heated using sunlight.

"Carnaval de Basura" by Eduardo Abaroa & "Social (s) plastic" by Gerhard Baer

Upcycling in Mexico City: A Megastadt, an almost unprecedented mass of plastic waste, a German-Mexican cultural cooperation, two artists, two artist projects, many participation ideas.

The two artists participate in the collection and design of plastic waste materials in the sense of the "Inventive Art Participatio" preschool children and educators.

Eduardo Abaroa realized in 2010 as part of his work "Carneval de Basura", which took place in the exhibition "Residual" initiated by the Goethe Institute and the Unam, a share of participants with high school students and preschoolers. His idea of ​​creating dinosaurs from PET bottles inspired children and educators.

Gerhard Baer opens his artistic practice for laypersons and provides opportunities for being shared together. The artist moves his studio, his way of working and his machine, which can heat polyethylene waste into a formible raw material, to the everyday life of the participants.

Upcycling: a persistent trend?

In a society in which awareness of the effects of our actions on the environment in our daily life grows, the topic of upcycling is also more important.

It is a careful and environmentally conscious consumption practice that everyone can easily take over for themselves and their shopping behavior. The concept has been very popular for many years and has already convinced millions of people and has already transformed into glowing followers.

Therefore, lifestyle brands still have to observe the trend very closely. It is a real alternative to disposable consumption and almost fashion.

For these reasons, I am convinced that upcycling will continue to remain an integral part of our consumption habits in the future.

However, I also see boundaries of this trend in order to encounter sufficient love and acceptance in the width of the population. This will not be able to get the problem of our garbage mountains under control. Rather, there is a risk that Eco cycling will ultimately remain a small outskirts or niche phenomenon.

Of course, a complete change of heart would be desirable among consumers and producers alike. But that is probably - at least for the moment - a little too idealistic and stabbed.

But you will be allowed to dream of utopia a little 🙂

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and managing director of Kunstplaza. Publicist, editor and passionate blogger in the field of art, design and creativity since 2011. Successful conclusion in web design as part of a university degree (2008). Further development of creativity techniques through courses in free drawing, expression painting and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market through many years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with actors/institutions from art and culture.

www.kunstplaza.de/