The Trend of Upcycling
[해외특파원 1기 | 이시현 기자] As people’s interest in the environment increases, not only recycling but also upcycling products, which means that wastes or discarded materials are converted into new materials or products of higher quality and greater functionality. have become a hot potato. As a result, many companies are stimulating the ethical consumption of customers through eco-friendly marketing.
For example, Hyundai, a Korean company, is introducing products that actively utilized upcycling. Hyundai Motor has begun to promote the importance of sustainability through a unique collaboration between Hyundai Motor and fashion with the meaning of “Hyundai is reusing and rethinking a new style.” Hyundai Motor unveiled its lung leather seat-upcycling costume with U.S. eco-friendly fashion brands and it also collaborated with global fashion brands to introduce jewelry and vests that used car waste. This year, 12 kinds of clothes, including jackets, hoods, and pants made of car waste and Ionic 5 were introduced. In particular, the project used recycled raw materials such as airbags and seat belts, recycled raw materials, made from crushed and processed transparent plastic bottles, and bio-PET raw materials, made from sugar cane, corn.
In addition, Hyundai Department Store has also started eco-friendly management by making Green Friends fashion bags. It has set an environmental management goal of becoming an eco-friendly company in customer life and has selected three key points for eco-friendly management: green service, green friends, and green system. The Green Friends fashion bags are made by upcycling 30 large banners 10 meters wide and 10 meters long on the outside of the department store. After collecting waste banners that have expired during the production period, they are upcycled after high-temperature cleaning, drying, and coating. The banners used in the product are durable and waterproof because they are installed on weather-affected outer walls such as strong winds, rain, and snow. In particular, Hyundai Department Store has integrated eco-friendly elements not only into the outer fabric of its bags but also into its products. The lining is made of recycled plastic bottles, and the label with product information and price is made of recycled paper printed with soybean oil. Starting with the Green Friends fashion bag, Hyundai Department Store plans to introduce “upcycling” products made by recycling discarded materials and donated materials.
