Upcycling Research
Global Perspectives on Product, Fashion and Theory
- Open Access
Upcycling Research
Global Perspectives on Product, Fashion and Theory
- Open Access
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Description
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.
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Contributors
Preface
Foreword, Tracy Bhamra
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
1. Upcycling Research with Global Perspectives on Fashion, Products, the Built Environment, Community and Education, Kyungeun Sung & Richie Moalosi
PART I: FASHION AND TEXTILES
2. Emotional Design for Fashion Upcycling, Yufei Hu, Pammi Sinha and Eunsuk Hur
3. Kenyan Fashion Designers' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Upcycling, Sophia N. Njeru and Richie Moalosi
4. Stitched Refugee Stories: Using Stitching and Upcycling to Convert Children's Experiences into Empowerment, Chanjuan Chen and Trina Harlow
5. Exploring Upcycling Practices in the Fashion Sector: A Case of Harare, Edlight Mutungwe, Walter Chipambwa and Lucia Sithole
6. FABIO - Making Jeans Sustainwearable, Pranoti Sonawane, Lovish Bandwal and Yagnesh Gohil
PART II: ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
7. Upcycling Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites: An Engineering Management Perspective, Abhishek Tiwary and Dazel Empe
8. Circular Economy Solutions for Solar Photovoltaic Panels: Review and Future Research for UK Scholars, Kyungeun Sung, Yi Zhong and Patrick Isherwood
9. Integrating Upcycling into Urban Infrastructure and Built Environment Design: A Strategic Approach to Waste Reduction and Resource Conservation, Nnyaladzi Tema and Benjamin Bolaane
10. Unlocking the Value from Coffee Waste: A Case Study of Sustainable Practices of a Colombian Coffee Farm, Claudia García Flórez
PART III: DESIGN AND BUSINESS
11. Scaling Up Upcycling: A Comparative Analysis of Furniture, Lighting and Bags Made Through Repurposing, Patrick Pearce, Martin Racine, Isabel Ordóñez and Alice Jarry
12. Key Challenges and Success Factors for Scaling Up Upcycling Businesses Across Industries and Countries, Kyungeun Sung, Amal Abuzeinab and Richie Moalosi
13. Designing with Waste in Hong Kong, Kevin Cheung and Kyungeun Sung
14. Organic Waste Upcycling for Materials Design: A New Framework Proposal Based on Food Waste, Luca Alessandrini, Valentina Rognoli and Karen Marie Hasling
PART IV: PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY
15. Upcycling Throw-Away People: Lessons from Upcycling Research, Joon Sang Baek and Kyungeun Sung
16. Exploring Successful Cases of Community Participation in Waste Management and Upcycling in Thailand, Montida Lertnimanoradee, Busayawan Lam and Eujin Pei
17. Sucata Quântica: Local Reuse Actions in São Paulo, Brazil, Hamilton Ortiz
18. Community Empowerment Through Upcycling Pre-Consumer Waste Material, Walter Chipambwa, Edlight Mutungwe and Chipo Chuma
PART V: DESIGN EDUCATION
19. Incorporating Upcycling into the Industrial Design Program: The Case of the University of Botswana, Richie Moalosi, Polokano Sekonopo, Yaone Rapitsenyane and Paulson Letsholo
20. New Product Development for Upcycling and Circular Economy Focusing on Everyday Electronic Products, Kyungeun Sung, Joseph Shade, Thomas Wylam, Tony Lorance, Mik Pieniazek and Abhishek Tiwary
21. Common Waste Upcycling for Product Design as Extracurricular Activities in Design Education, Kyungeun Sung, Millie Rees, Theodore Sloos, Richie Moalosi, Yaone Rapitsenyane and Anneloes Roelandschap
22. Integrating Upcycling in the Industrial Design Programme as an Alternative Approach to Mitigate Environmental Challenges in Botswana, Thatayaone Mosepedi and Gerald Kennedy
23. Conclusion: Opportunities and Action Needed, Richie Moalosi and Kyungeun Sung
Index
Product details
| Published | 05 Feb 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 336 |
| ISBN | 9781350496316 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Visual Arts |
| Illustrations | 69 bw illus, 25 tables |
| Dimensions | 234 x 156 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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