Authors : Harshada Samadhan Pawar

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 11 - November

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5n7wzr7c

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yc7aze6r

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25nov1339

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The linear model of production and consumption – the 'take, make, dispose' economy - is reaching its limits compromising the natural systems from which we extract resources. The creative reuse of no-longer-needed materials, known as 'upcycling', is the new buzzword in design for a circular economy. In this paper, the design strategies, techniques and applications of upcycling waste materials are analysed in relation to enabling a new mode of production that can aid mankind's transition to a more circular economy from its current linearity. Based on the analysis of actual practice across industries, the key design drivers and implementation challenges discussed in this paper show that upcycling is not simply an environmentally- informed imperative but a major economic innovation opportunity for resource conservation and sustainable value creation.

Keywords : Waste Management, Economy, Resource Efficiency, Upcycling.

References :

1. Geyer, R., Jambeck, J., & Law, K. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3(7). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782
2. Balu, R., Dutta, N., & Choudhury, N. (2022). Plastic waste upcycling: a sustainable solution for waste management, product development, and circular economy. Polymers, 14(22), 4788. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14224788
3. Guerriero, A., Busio, F., Saidani, M., Boje, C., & Mack, N. (2024). Combining building information model and life cycle assessment for defining circular economy strategies. Sustainability, 16(11), 4561. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114561
4. Subedi, M., Pandey, S., & Khanal, A. (2023). Integrated solid waste management for the circular economy: challenges and opportunities for nepal. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Advancements, 1(1), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.3126/jomra.v1i1.55100
5. Aus, R., Moora, H., Vihma, M. et al. Designing for circular fashion: integrating upcycling into conventional garment manufacturing processes. Fash Text 8, 34 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-021-00262-9
6. Bigolin, Ricarda, et al. "Material inventories and garment ontologies: advancing upcycling methods in fashion practice." Sustainability 14.5 (2022): 2906.
7. Jiang, Zhe-Yuan, et al. "Recycling, reusing and environmental safety of industrial by-product gypsum in construction and building materials." Construction and Building Materials 432 (2024): 136609.
8. Ofori-Agyei, Grace Ofeibia, et al. "Upcycling of solid waste for furniture production: an environmentally sustainable solution for waste disposal." Journal of Innovations and Sustainability 7.4 (2023): 04-04.
9. Karim, Md Rezaul, and Md Mesbaul Hasan. "Innovative Textile Recycling and Upcycling Technologies For Circular Fashion: Reducing Landfill Waste And Enhancing Environmental Sustainability." American Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 3.03 (2022): 01-35.
10. Evode, N., Qamar, S. A., Bilal, M., Barceló, D., & Iqbal, H. M. (2021). Plastic waste and its management strategies for environmental sustainability. Case studies in chemical and environmental engineering, 4, 100142.
11. Haque, Azizul. "A brief study and one step ahead of plastic sustainability vs. genuine plastic recycling and upcycling including Advantages and/or benefits as well as future opportunities across the Globe." (2022).
12. Faludi, Julianna. "Sustainable Fashion, Circularity and Consumer Behavior–Systematic Review and a Social Marketing Research and Policy Agenda." Social Marketing Quarterly 31.1 (2025): 35-59.
13. Islam, Md Tasbirul, Usha Iyer-Raniga, and Sean Trewick. "Recycling perspectives of circular business models: A review." Recycling 7.5 (2022): 79.

14. Peralta, M. Estela, Nuria Alcalá, and Víctor M. Soltero. "Weighting with life cycle assessment and cradle to cradle: A methodology for global sustainability design." Applied Sciences 11.19 (2021): 9042