Recycled, Reused, Reclaimed – What Does that Mean Exactly?
Today we’re going to get into semantics. There are so many names being tossed around the web for giving materials a second life, you may be confused about what exactly each term means. I know I was when I tried to determine how I should list my yarn. I mean, is it recycled, reclaimed, reused or upcycled? What’s the difference?
Recycled
Recycling is the process of taking used items and making them into new products. The prevents waste of materials that may still have useful purposes, keeps junk out of landfills and reduces pollution. In the strictest sense of the term, the waste material is broken down and reprocessed to produce a fresh supply of the same original item.
Reclaimed
Reclaimed items are recovered from the trash. The items are restored to like-new condition for re-use.
Reused
Reusing an item is simply the practice of using an item more than once. When you refill a water bottle, you are reusing it. You may also reuse the bottle for other purposes, like cutting in half and using as a planter or using in the original form with many others as insulation in an eco-home.
Upcycled
Upcycling is a newer, trendier term in the green movement. This means taking otherwise unusable items and creating a new use for them. The intent to create a high-quality, artistic product. You see a lot of this type of thing at Uncommon Goods. Jewelry, flower vases, home décor items and other gift-type items are hand produced from recycled materials and sold on the retail market.
Rewind Yarn
So the yarn here does not really fit into any of these categories, but I believe recycled is the most appropriate term. It’s either than or we have to make a new category for breaking down items into their raw materials so the materials may be reused. She we say Deconstructed?
Designers may use it to produce upcycled items. That’s what I do when I use it to knit up one of my designs. But truly recycled yarn is chopped up and reprocessed by large factories, something I believe wastes energy unnecessarily. The yarn here is recycled through human energy alone.
