If you’ve never heard the buzzword ‘upcycle,’ you’ve probably been off to the moon. The trend of creative reuse is all about transforming ​products that would otherwise end up in the trash.

Why? Because it’s is a great way to reuse materials and reduce our footprint. Plus, it’s fun and if you’re still not convinced, below we have plenty of evidence of people using their skills and ingenuity to give old stuff a new life.

From a handcrafted tote bag made from a bunch of plastic bags to an old grill transformed into a cute herb garden, nothing seems impossible for these handy people. Scroll down, upvote your fave remade objects, and be sure to share your own upcycling ideas in the comments below!

#1 I Take Plastic Shipping /Bale Straps From Hardware Store Waste, And Make Sturdy, Functional & Fashionable Baskets! (My Cats Also Love Them At Every Stage)

Image credits: lycorisette

#2 This Kind Man Is Recycling Old Camp Coolers To Make Warm Kitty Shelters For Winter! How Cool Is This?!

Image credits: Waifer2016

#3 The School Security Guard Decided To Save The Discarded Benches And Gave Them A Second Life

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Every year we dump a massive 2.12 billion tons of waste. If all this waste was put on trucks, they would go around the world 24 times. This stunning amount of waste is partly because 99 percent of the stuff we buy is trashed within 6 months.

Luckily, more and more people are now becoming aware of the damage of the waste they produce and the footprint they leave on their planet by consuming stuff on a daily basis. Sustainable consumption is a way to do more and better with less, meaning that we give old products a whole new life.

To find out more about the now-trending practice of upcycling, we talked to Lina Survila, an editor-in-chief of Abstract Stylist magazine. “Upcycling is a re-use of no longer desirable items. It can be something that has lost its function or simply doesn’t spark joy anymore,” Lina explained this buzzword.

#4 Pulled Out Of A Trash Heap. It Was One Part Of A Military File Cabinet. Thorough Cleaning, Paint And A Little Shining Up Followed By Wrapping It In Wood From My Scrap Pile. Added Some Legs And Bingo Bango!

Image credits: PigwidgeonWeasley

#5 This Rug Used To Be A Bunch Of Ugly T-Shirts

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#6 I Turned An Old Microwave Cart Into A Rolling LEGO Stand For My Daughters For Christmas

Image credits: SweetHeidiJo

“Creative upcycling is becoming more and more popular as people are looking for new ways to express their creativity and stay original,” she said and added that “the sustainability aspect is a strong motivator to give items a second life.”

When asked whether people are becoming more aware about producing less waste in their daily lives, Lina assured us that this is definitely the case. “People are definitely talking more about conscious lifestyle choices than they used to.”

But it’s not all up to them. If we talk about the greatest impact in producing waste, we need to realize that “big changes, especially in the fashion industry, should come from big brands making their supply chain more clean and transparent.” So the companies that produce huge amounts of stuff, like the famous fast fashion brands, are really the ones to blame.

#7 I Convinced My Friend To Not Throw Away His Old Fencing And Let Me Build Him Garden Boxes. How Do You Think They Came Out?

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#8 Upcycled 3 Old T-Shirts Into 1 New One

Image credits: Bydanielpearce

#9 Turned An Old Fan With A Bad Motor Into A Lamp

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“The more we upcycle, the more we choose not to buy something new. It’s like making dinner from scraps—you use something most people would throw away, and you save money,” Lina said. She’s also a believer in a conscious lifestyle that’s something to be affordable for all and not reserved for the people with higher incomes.

You can upcycle virtually anything, from clothes and accessories to household objects. “I upcycle paper boxes and bags, glass bottles, and old textiles. For example, you can upcycle your old bed linen to small kitchen napkins or towels. Also, use boxes as containers for storage, build compartments in your closet from them,” the editor concluded.

#10 Made Some Shorts, A Bucket Hat And A Bag All From One Old Jacket

Image credits: Bydanielpearce

#11 My Vintage TV Barn Find Turned Into My New Bar Cart

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#12 Earrings Who Lost Their Mates Turned Into A Charm Bracelet

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#13 Unused Bags, It’s Time To Do Some Handicraft

#14 Handpainted Them. Love How These Turned Out!

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#15 The Drink Tray I Got From A Cafe Is A Reused Milk Carton

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#16 IKEA Backpack

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#17 Turned An Old Office Credenza Into A New TV Stand

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#18 A Rose For My Partner On Our Anniversary, Made From Recycled Cutlery

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#19 Made A Fairy Succulent Garden Patio Area With A Broken Pot

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#20 I Repurpoused My Old Grill Into A Small Herb Garden! I Hope All The Seeds Grow Soon

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#21 A Raincoat For My Dog Made Out Of A Broken Promotional Umbrella (She’s Not Impress)

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#22 A Neighbor Was Giving Away This Kid Size Chest Of Drawers For Free, So I Snagged It And Made It Into A Quarantine Bar

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#23 Ultimate Upcycling! Abandoned Car To Airbnb!

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#24 Denim Friends From Old Jeans

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#25 Turned A Thrifted Blanket Into These Ridiculous Sweats

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#26 Picked Up A Used Cardigan That Turned Out To Look Much Better In The Picture Than In Person, So I Turned It Back To Yarn And Crocheted The Yarn Into A Cat Bed (I Didn’t Use A Pattern)

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#27 Made A Bag For My Mom’s Yarn From Old Window Screen

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#28 Teacup Birdfeeders Made By Me

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#29 I Read That A Lot Of Donated Clothes End Up In Landfills Anyway, So Started Saving Our Old Fabrics/Textiles That Didn’t Seem Nice Enough For Resale. Finally Used Them To Make This Pet Bed!

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#30 A Knit A Sweater Made Entirely Of Old /Scrap Yarns I Had Lying Around

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#31 Swater Not Won Since 1996 And A Zipper From An Old Bag = Wool Overall For My Kid

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#32 My Old Favourite Jeans Turned Into A Pen Roll

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#33 IKEA Bags Into Windbreaker

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#34 My Mom Made This Pig Planter

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#35 Update! TV With Cats (And You Can See The Chandelier I Made From An Old Vase)

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#36 I Turned An Old Dresser Into A Microwave Stand!

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#37 Repurposed An Old Cable Spool Into A Table For My Zero Waste Store

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#38 Turned An Old Mannequin Hand And Gold Metal Tray Into A Light! (Not My Idea Originally, I Saw Some Similar Online)

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#39 Bought A Men’s Shirt For $3 And Turned It Into A Twin Set!

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#40 Upcycled An Old Candle Lid

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#41 Got This Pillowcase At A Local Thrift Store For 50 Cents! Flipped It Into A Cute Purse!

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#42 From Ruined Jeans To An Area Rug

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#43 Repurposed A Diaper Box + Some Contact Paper Into A Little Bookcase For My Son

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#44 Old Handmade Writing Desk Turned Into A Changing Table For The New Nursery

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#45 I Turned Old Perfume Bottles Into Room Diffusers

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#46 Upcycled Bicycle Wheel

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#47 Upcycled A Thrifted Suit By Painting On It ! It Took Me About 30 Hours, But I Love The Result

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#48 Something I Made From Old Bicycle Parts And Christmas Lights

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#49 I Turned My Friend’s Old Dress Shirt Into A Crop Top With A Matching Mask And Scrunchie!

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#50 Took Two Old Shirts And Made Two New Ones!

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Source: boredpanda.com