Ultimate Upcycling Challenge

Mini Design Challenge

April is Earth Month
Let's Go Offline For the Ultimate Upcycling Challenge

In the Ultimate Upcycling Challenge you are challenged to design and make an upcycled item that you could use, give as a gift, or sell to raise funds for a conservation or community organization, #Entrepreneurship.

Top submissions will be featured on GirlsTaketheLead.org and our partner social channels.

What is Upcycling?

In simple terms upcycling continues the life of an item or product and adds value to it.

For this challenge, Upcycling is creative reuse. It is the process of transforming old, unused materials or unwanted products into new materials or products of higher quality and environmental value.

This is often something that is totally reimagined or recreated and given a new function or use.

Upcycling is a big part of green initiatives in retail sustainability. Learn more about the Global Innovation Challenge in Sustainable Fashion.

How Does Upcycling Help the Earth?

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 might 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. Think of all the tshirts, jeans, purses, jewelry, toys and just plain stuff we throw away each year.

Upcycling is more energy efficient because materials are not broken down or degraded. Instead, they are reimagined and repurposed, adding value and quality while extending the life of the material or item.