Ikea Upcycle

Humans are the only creatures on the planet that create waste. The by-products from other creatures function as food or shelter. But not us humans; we have broken the loop. We now create toxic waste that will remain on the earth for hundreds of thousands of years. And yet we are such creative beings.

One way we can change it is through ‘upcycling’. Upcycling is the ‘process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value.’

In today’s world, stuff is wasted and thrown away, mostly by people who have more than enough stuff. While others go without. We chuck food away, while in some parts of the world people are starving. And, many things which could be put to good use end up in landfill. We’re a wasteful lot. But we don’t have to be.

Lurking in garages and sheds all over the world are dusty items which are not loved anymore, but are still in good condition. An old sofa or a discarded toaster, which someone else might need. So, instead of throwing it away, give it away.

Online groups such as Preloved are one way to upcycle and get rid of stuff you don’t want. These types of services sell anything from wheelbarrows and wedding dresses to sofas and motoring parts.

And, people all over the world are building their homes out of recycled waste. Such as Senior Design Lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney, Rod Hayes who built his home out of recycled trusses, hard-wood timber and lots of stuff from an old railway junkyard.

Students are always broke, it’s a fact. So, we all have to figure out ways to freshen up our day-to-day life. One item students will 100% have lying around is IKEA’s frakta bag. We all used the frakta bag to move into our halls or move copious amounts of alcohol to a house party, once. Now, it’s time to upcycle that big blue bag, that was initially designed to be reused. The talented people from across the bond at Esser Studio bring to you a practical design which upcycles IKEA’s iconic bag for life.

IKEA’s Frakta collection is so versatile, the internet discovered that in early 2017 with the reuse of the blue bag in various and certainly bizarre different ways.

Upcycling is so important. With the rising numbers of plastic waste and the dangers our surrounding environments are facing, we need to figure out ways to minimise our waste. We also need to think about everything we buy, think about the ethical and environmental issues each product you spend money on could cause. In order to stay in love with our things; we need to either change or adapt our thinking and ask, does the item which is being used have long term durability and recyclability?

That’s the only way of achieving the wonderful everyday.

Words by Hesham Abdelhamid | Bag design by Esser Studio