Upcycling

Which 3 words are real?

•Upcycle

•Down cycle

•Pro cycle

•Com cycle

•recycle

Reading 1

The rise and rise of upcycling

Do you know the difference between recycling, upcycling and downcycling?

We handle 1. __________ materials and waste in different ways depending on how they can be

used. When we transform a product into something which has less 2. than ___the

original, we are down-cycling. This happens with paper, which is 3. __________ into a lower-

grade recycled paper. Downcycling is still recycling – and a good thing to do. But upcycling is

even better.

Reading 2

This happens when we transform a product into something which has a greater value than the

original. For example, when clothes are made in a factory, there are 4.__________ of material

left over that are thrown away because they have no immediate value. These scraps are usually

destined to be burnt or sent to a 5. __________ site. If, instead, these scraps are 6.

__________ and sewn together to make a bag or a wallet, the finished product has increased

in value and become useful to someone.

Upcycling extends the life of materials. It also 7. __________ valuable 8. __________. If we

make a bag out of throwaway scraps, we don’t need to use brand-new material, which often

requires huge quantities of water and energy.

Reading 3

According to the Macmillan dictionary, ‘there is some evidence for use of the word upcycle as

far back as 1994, but the term was first brought into the spotlight by US architect Willi

McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart in a 2002 book entitled Cradle to Cradle:

9. __________ the Way We Make Things’. As people have become more interested in
10.

__________ and finding ways to 11. __________ less and 12. __________ more, upcycling

has become increasingly more popular with businesses and individuals.

Discussion

Reading

1. The writer says, ‘Upcycling is a concrete action a single human being can take to make a

difference.’ What do they mean by this?

2. What kinds of things can you upcycle?

3. Describe something you upcycled or an upcycling idea.

The Cambridge Dictionary has declared “upcycling” as the 2019 Word of the Year. The word
“Upcycling” refers to the act of making new items out of old, discarded materials. “Upcycling”
was first added to the ___ in 2011, when the editors noticed an increase in Internet ___ for the
word. The number of searches has risen by 181 percent since then. Cambridge Dictionary’s
publishers believe that the word’s ___ is caused by people’s growing awareness of climate change.
change and other environmental issues. Many of the words on the shortlist for Word of the Year
were also related to climate change concerns, including “carbon sink” (a type of ecosystem that
carbon dioxide) and “preservation” (the act of protecting something from being damaged).

LISTENING

Crossword

Across
1.Protect something from harm (v)

3.Supply of materials (n)

4.Get rid of something (v)

6.Area filled with waste material (n)

7.Change waste into reusable stuff (v)

9.Use something again (v)

11. Keep something from being lost or thrown away (v)
12. Make something again (v)

Down
2.Avoidance of depletion of a natural resource to keep
an ecological balance

5. What is something worth

8.Eat or buy

10. Small amount of something left over

answers

Crossword

Answers:

Across
1.conserve

3.resource

4.discard

6.landfill

7.recycle

9.reuse

11. rescue
12. remake

Down
2.sustainability

5.value

8.consume

10. scrap

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Upcycling game

Upcycling