Upcycling Research

Exploring themes of design and production, products and systems, and making and consumption, this open access volume provides new theories, perspectives, approaches and research findings at the cutting edge of global upcycling research.

Upcycling is a design, business and social practice and - when done with care - it can reduce solid wastes, increase resource and material efficiency, and lower industrial energy consumption, with an aim to transiting towards net zero. Despite the wide-ranging benefits, upcycling remains a niche practice, calling for scaling up in order to realise the full potential of upcycling.

Research and real-world interventions that promote increased upcycling necessarily bring together theories and disciplinary practices from design, manufacturing, business studies, sustainable development, consumer studies, and politics. This book presents the key findings of the International Upcycling Research Network (IURN), which is at the forefront of upcycling research, practice, and opinion in the world, and expands our understanding of current upcycling research and practice across industries, disciplines, and countries, and develops new cross-industry, multidisciplinary, international collaborative research projects, and initiatives.

With contributions from across various continents, the chapters cover research and practices in fashion, textiles, furniture design, and highly-engineered products and systems, and provides new ideas and concepts on upcycling.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by AHRC.