upcycles

Verb

upcycle (third-person singular simple present upcycles, present participle upcycling, simple past and past participle upcycled)

1. (transitive) To convert (waste materials, etc.) into new materials or products of higher quality and greater functionality.
   • Recycling in many cases means "downcycling" – in particular cases, however, it can also mean "upcycling".1994, Jim Mason, editor, Design for Manufacturability, 1994: An Environment for Improving Design and Designing to Improve Our Environment: Presented at the 1994 Design for Manufacturability...
2. (transitive) To promote into a more productive or useful role.
   • One designer I know was known for his vibrant use of color in his fashions. When he purchased a weekend home not too far from me, he had this crazy idea to paint the bark of the trees in different bright shades. […] To me, this wasn't upcycling the Great Outdoors, but more like upchucking on it.2011, Danny Seo, “Upcycling the Great Outdoors”, in Upcycling: Create Beautiful Things with the Stuff You Already Have, Philadelphia, Pa.: Running Press, →ISBN

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