Downcycling is the recycling of a material into a material of lesser quality. The obvious example is the recycling of plastics, which turns them into lower grade plastics. The terms downcycle and downcycling were first used by Reiner Pilz of Pilz GmbH and Thornton Kay of Salvo Llp in 1993, along with the terms upcycle and upcycling.
This term was popularized by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their 2002 book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.
Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. This process allows for the reduction of waste and use of virgin materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downcycling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling
This term was popularized by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their 2002 book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.
Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. This process allows for the reduction of waste and use of virgin materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downcycling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling