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Men don’t seem to be as excited about thrifting or donating and purchasing used clothes as women are. I think it might be because lots of men don’t really enjoy shopping, but they should! At the very least, it’s good for everyone to recognize the importance of recycling. This week, I’m focusing on men’s shorts. I found some fun, barely used shorts that almost any man could wear. These excellent pairs of shorts are often found in places like Macy’s or Nordstrom’s.

First is a pair of Tommy Hilfiger dress shorts. These are size XXL at $3.99. Inside liner and black in color with same color pinstripes, average length. They are a great pair of dressier shorts, but will still help keep you cool.

Second, is another pair Hilfiger shorts sized XXL at $3.99. This pair of shorts would do very well on hot days with their lightweight cotton. These shorts can be worn dressed up or down, so they’re great for travel!  Not too long or short.

Lastly, and maybe best of all are these knee-length surf shorts. They’re a size Large and have never been worn. The shorts are made by Kirra, which makes funky boarding clothing. Usually these shorts go for about $40.00 new, and these are a mere $1.99! Now that’s a steal!

If you want to come in and purchase any of these items, you will need to go to the Goodwill located on South Broadway and Archer.

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Downcycling is still not a very well-used word. And really it is more correctly termed than the word Recycling. I learned a lot doing research online about downcycling. Number one? There isn’t much information on the World Wide Web.

Wikipedia Definition: “Downcycling involves converting materials and products into new materials of lesser quality. Most recycling involves converting or extracting useful materials from a product and creating a different product or material”. (or it cannot be recycled into the same product). Downcycling is very different from recycling, because recycling mostly means using something for the same purpose again. The term downcycling was coined by Reiner Pilz in 1994.

Advantages of downcycling compared to creation and use of brand new products:

1. Preventing potentially useful material from being wasted

2. Reducing raw material consumption and lowering energy usage

3. Water and air pollution reduction

4. Greenhouse gases consumption

5. Reducing your carbon footprint

Examples of downcycling are:

1. Turning old t-shirts or towels into rags.

2. Turning old plastic bottles into plastic outdoor chairs that cannot be recycled.

3. When people upcycle, they can also use downcycled parts. Like using an old computer as memory or backup storage.

Downcycling is good, however it turns reused resources into a lesser item, and eventually it turns up in a landfill and is completely useless. There is a lifespan to plastic. Every new drinking plastic bottle is made from raw materials. However, things cannot be totally reabsorbed into the original form and are made into a lower cost material until it’s completely useless.

Downcycling can be done both in business or at home. It’s a new way to be creative! Before you toss something away think of some possible ways you candowncycle! Although downcycling is not the BEST means of recycling, it is considered by most to be better than just throwing it into a waste dump.

Goodwill does a fabulous job of downcycling, taking in and reselling in large bulk clothes to be turned into rags, computers being downcycled for their reusable materials, trying to squeeze as much out of the donated products as they can and prevent further landfill trash. I fully support this, and was excited to hear how far they go with their cycling of as many materials as possible.

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According to Wikipedia, Upcycling is the process of converting what is considered waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. Reducing the use of new raw materials can result in a reduction of energy usage, air pollution, water pollution and even greenhouse gas emissions.

This is also a fairly new word being used more and more often. It goes right along with recycling and repurposing. I personally upcycle jewelry, taking already made pieces from garage sales or thrift stores like Goodwill and giving them new beautiful life. My mother repurposes with t-shirts, embellishing and making already cool shirts into something special, personal and unique

Upcycling is different from recycling because energy transfer is used most times for recycling, with the transfer of the physical state. (like aluminum being melted down). With upcycling, there is no transfer physical states.

Interested in upcycling? One idea is take old leather belts and make them into leather cuff bracelets. Or, how about making little journals or memory books made from old boxes, card stock and books with pictures from the thrift store or garage sales. These items cost very little but can mean so much. The value definitely goes up when human touch and creative artistry are involved. Plus? You can be proud that you not only did something lovely, but again you are helping the world by not using more precious raw materials.

Other Examples:

Making a beaded frame by taking old beads off a necklace and embellishing the frame with them. You can also paint over them to make your own personalized frame. Make a bib necklace with some ribbon or soft chord and some kind of appliqué and glue. Or coin purse key chains from dish towels (and a zipper!). Make a budget terrarium with some fake moss, rocks a clear bowl and some embellishments! Never have to worry about it being watered…

Or you could find an old clothing pattern and sew yourself up a new look! And you could even grab yourself material at the local thrift store to upcycle into your new piece, and really have something unique

Lastly, and probably the most creative and easy is to make spa slippers with a pair of flip-flops and a towel! How perfect for the pool!

I have found a ton of blogs on upcycling, and with our economy and many of us looking for ways to save money, I believe upcycling for yourself or others is the way to start helping yourself! Email me at aprilsdesigns@gmail.com for a list!

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Wikipedia hasn’t even developed the page for it, it is such a new concept, but honestly, it has a history. Dictionary definition is; “To use or convert for use in another format or product: repurposed the book as a compact disk.”

To repurpose means to take on a different and more creative way of reusing items you might have otherwise considered as trash. Repurposing can be fun and eye-opening as to the many different purposes one item can have…like using old credit cards to scrape pans with stuck-on food, or cut up and use as a mosaic on a picture frame or as a cake knife.

Repurposing is also a great way to recycle. You can turn t-shirts into bags, lotion bottles into cellphone holders, soup cans into a pencil/pen holder, ice trays to hold jewelry, pretty bottles into flower vases or candle holders or storage for olive oil, old plates/platters for plant drainage holders, and using wrapping paper to make thank you cards, clip on earrings into cocktail rings, with so many other things that can be done – the list is endless!

I have personally repurposed jewelry into other forms of jewelry or even found metal belts at Goodwill that I turned into a necklace. I have found things on the side of the road that I repurposed for a modern artistic necklace…ingredients were; tire rubber, broken glass and some old discarded copper wire. I have so much more appreciation for things creatively repurposed. If given as a gift, it’s so much more thoughtful because of the personal touch added to it. Back in the 80’s, I actually would purchase vests at thrift stores and embellish them with various things. Can’t say I’d wear any of it now, but it was fun!

When I searched “repurposing” online, I found so many blog results, it was heartwarming! There was even information on Facebook and Etsy. I love seeing fellow frugalists talking about how to keep our resources that are already used from being thrown away when they can have another life.

Here are 9 different ways to repurpose a t-shirt:

1. Cut into rags and make a twist tie rug
2. Pillowcase
3. Book cover
4. Patchwork quilt
5. Bag
6. Rags
7. Bed for cats or dogs
8. Cloth napkins (I have two girlfriends who stopped using paper towels and do this).
9. Dog shirt

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This week, I am going to focus on recycling, repurposing, regifting and upcycling, and will cover one topic per day.  Today, I’ll focus on recycling, specific to re-using items that may be discarded by people who don’t need them.

The definition of recycling by Wickipedia states the following: Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” waste hierarchy.

When you make a purchase at a thrift store, you are a key part in the process of recycling.  This also means you a part of the green movement.  You are preventing items from being dumped in our ever increasing landfills.  In the long run, you are saving money, raw materials, waste disposal and thereby increasing the value of your purchase exponentially!

Bringing donations to thrift stores, or having them picked up at your house also prevents the landfills from being increased by items that other people will use. If you are a homeowner, this is also a write-off for you and that can help your pocketbook. 

My wardrobe consists of mostly recycled items and a large portion of these clothes happen to be upscale discards.  I feel proud that I spent less than a quarter of what the clothing costs new and helping keep our world a little cleaner.

If you feel limited in what you can do to be green, shopping and or donating to thrift stores is the easiest way to begin.

Check out Goodwill Donation sites here! (http://www.goodwilldenver.org/donate/items ), and remember, recycling helps everyone on the earth!

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