Upcycling

High school (ages 12+)
Making & Design

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/upcycling

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the economic impact?Fosters innovation, creates new markets, and can reduce material costs
2. How does upcycling help the planet?It keeps trash out of landfills, saves natural resources, and reduces pollution, so the Earth stays cleaner.
3. Why do people do upcycling instead of throwing things away?Upcycling gives old items a new life, saves money, and lets people be creative and kind to the environment.

Upcycling: The process of converting waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products of superior quality or environmental value.
Creative Reuse: An alternative term for upcycling, emphasizing the imaginative and innovative transformation of discarded items.
Circular Economy: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources, of which upcycling is a component.