Repair and Upcycling: How Do We Know Which Repair Is Considered as Upcycling?

Abstract

A current linear economy based on ‘take, make, use and dispose’ has shaped unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and a transition to a circular economy based on reutilisation of used or waste materials and products is required for sustainable future. Repair is one of the important inner circles/loops of the circular economy which in principle alleviates resource scarcity and improves material efficiency. Upcycling incorporates multiple concepts and practices in the circular economy such as creative forms of repair, reuse, repurpose, refurbishment, upgrade, remanufacture and recycling such that the end results have equal or higher value or quality than the compositional elements. With present diverse understanding of upcycling, this chapter explains the overlap between repair and upcycling in order to provide some clarifications and facilitate future research in the intersection between repair and upcycling.