downcycled
Recycled into inferior
Downcycled describes materials recycled into products of lower quality or value than the original.
Unlike recycling that maintains material quality, downcycling degrades it—plastic bottles becoming fleece fabric, office paper becoming cardboard.
The term often appears in sustainability discussions contrasting it with upcycling: Most plastic is downcycled rather than truly recycled.
Cutting into thin pieces
- grindingMolar action sometimes
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- reprocessingHandling material again
- sortingArranging into sequence
collecting · baling · pulping · chipping · pelletizing · compacting · granulating · extruding
Moldable petroleum-based materials
- textilesWoven or knit materials
- paperPressed pulp for writing
- cardboardRigid paper for containers
- glassTransparent solid from sand
rubber · foam · insulation · fleece · rags · filler · pellets · aggregate
Failure or decomposition
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- devalueReduce perceived worth
- downgradeReduce in status
- compromisedMade vulnerable to harm
Converted to new use
- remanufacturedRebuilt to original standards
- refurbishedRestored to working order
- cradle-to-cradleClosed-loop production model
- open-loopWithout feedback control
Nearing death phase
- closed-loopSystem with feedback control
- post-consumerUsed then discarded material
- post-industrialAfter manufacturing's dominance
- reclaimedTaken back; salvaged
shredding
Cutting into thin pieces
- grindingMolar action sometimes
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- reprocessingHandling material again
sorting · collecting · baling · pulping · chipping · pelletizing · compacting · granulating · extruding · remolding
plastics
Moldable petroleum-based materials
glass · rubber · foam · insulation · fleece · rags · filler · pellets · aggregate · stuffing
breakdown
Failure or decomposition
- deteriorationProcess of declining quality
- devalueReduce perceived worth
- downgradeReduce in status
repurposed
Converted to new use
- remanufacturedRebuilt to original standards
- refurbishedRestored to working order
- cradle-to-cradleClosed-loop production model
end-of-life
Nearing death phase
- closed-loopSystem with feedback control
- post-consumerUsed then discarded material
- post-industrialAfter manufacturing's dominance
downcycledpreserved
Kept from deterioration
maintained · landfilled · unused · incinerated · composted