Ethical Leaf introduced us as an upcycled brand as follows. Please check out the full article on the Ethical Leaf website!
Many people I know say, "Upcycling? I have no idea what that means. I don't know it. I've never heard of it," or "I've heard of it, but how is it different from recycling or remaking?" It seems that the term "upcycling" is still unfamiliar to quite a few people.
So, here, after explaining the meaning of upcycling, I will introduce a selection of domestic and international fashion and interior brands that create attractive products through upcycling!
【What is Upcycling?】
Upcycling (English spelling "Upcycle") refers to the transformation of products and tools that would normally be discarded as waste (i.e., garbage), such as old fabrics, old clothes, waste materials, old furniture, and leftover fabrics from sewing, into new products.
However, unlike "recycling" (meaning "recirculation"), which is often understood to have a similar meaning, upcycling is about elevating these materials into "something more attractive and valuable."
For example, adding design elements to grain storage bags used for commercial purposes to transform them into fashion items or interior goods like bags that can be used daily, or creating unique dresses from leftover fabric produced through mass production...
By adding value through design and ideas, new life is breathed into items that were once destined for disposal, "increasing their value" into items that people truly "want" anew – this is the meaning of "upcycling."
As modern people who have lived through an era of mass production and mass consumption and inherited many negative legacies (on a global scale, transcending national borders) such as environmental problems, labor issues, and human rights issues, it would be wonderful if we could cherish encounters with upcycled products born from "sustainable" and "ethical" values, and use them for a long time.
Think Scrap
・Location of Establishment: Japan
・Upcycling Features: Combines seatbelt remnants and local waste materials to upcycle them into new products.
Reduces waste and contributes to the revitalization of local communities.
*Tokai Rika Co., Ltd. is an official member of "Ethical x Aichi"
・Examples of Product Categories: Pen cases, tote bags, pouches
Think Scrap is a brand launched by Tokai Rika Co., Ltd., an automotive parts manufacturer in Aichi Prefecture. It mainly utilizes discarded seatbelt remnants and collaborates with other companies in the same region to combine waste materials and upcycle them into cases, bags, and more.
As the brand name suggests, meaning "to consider how to utilize waste materials" (from the official website), it leverages the characteristics of seatbelt remnants (durability, texture) that inevitably arise during the production process, transforming them into items of even greater value.
It also features collaborative items with other industries in the same region, including regional revitalization, broadly upcycling waste materials generated in various fields. We can look forward to new product developments in the future!
With products available at locations like the Toyota Automobile Museum, it's also recommended as a gift for car enthusiasts. It's an upcycled brand that can be enjoyed as an entry point to ethical consumption.
