Spend much time on the green-webs and you are bound to stumble upon the term “upcycling.” First coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their must-read book Cradle to Cradle, upcycling is commonly defined as:

The process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of similar or greater value, in its second life.

So how is this different than recycling? While recycling is mostly concerned with harvesting the valuable raw materials from an item in order to prevent fresh consumption of the material, upcycling is an attempt to repurpose a usually disposable item in a creative and functional way.

Upcyclers are not collecting paper to make more paper, nor are they hunting for cans to create more aluminum (they might want the deposit return though). Instead, they are thinking of clever ways to make trash into something special.

Check out these upcycling ideas to get started:

Old Shopping Bags or Magazines Become Unique Envelopes

Sure, you could recycle that stack of magazines or the pile of paper shopping bags in your closet. Or, you could transform them into unique envelopes.

Photo: photo by Sarabbit

Cracked Teacups Become Eye-Catching Candles

If you have cracked or orphaned teacups lying around, waiting to be tossed, then this project is perfect.

Photo: photo by ecram1

Make a Purse or Laptop Bag from Soda Tabs

Though a more involved project than the two mentioned above, making a purse or laptop bag from soda tabs is not that difficult. When you’re finished, you can wear this example of upcycling with eco-pride.

Photo: photo by Orin Optiglot

Upcycling is great for the environment but more importantly, it’s a fun and creative way to stylishly show off your eco-ingenuity.

Photo: photo by elizabethboy

Foraging, or searching for food, is one of the oldest of human activities. Though we have found more complex ways to assemble a meal, foraging remains relevant today for anyone interested in cheap, locally-sourced, food.

Warning: Foraging Can Be Dangerous

You should not eat any plant, nut, or mushroom you find while foraging unless you are 100% certain of the item’s identification. It’s a good idea to compare your specimen to all similar plants, especially toxic varieties, as well. With that said, foraging can be a perfectly safe and enjoyable activity if you take the time to learn the basics.

Get to Know Your Flora

The first step to foraging is also one of its greatest benefits: You must develop an intimate knowledge of your local flora. Picking up a field guide specific to your area, like one of the Peterson Field Guide series, is a good place to begin. Study what edible plants grow naturally in your area and during what seasons. Once you know what’s out there, you can begin studying the unique characteristics of each plant so you will be able to identify them in the field.

This is not as easy at it may seem. It’s a good idea to seek assistance from someone with experience. Getting started with a mentor is the fastest, safest, way to begin foraging.

Once you’ve done some research, it’s time to search for food.

Photo: photo by ciordia

Head Into the Field

Depending on the season and where you are looking, there is a wide range of edible plants waiting to be discovered. One important thing to remember is that many edible and medicinal plants taste bitter or otherwise unappealing and are only meant to be eaten in emergency and survival situations. Instead of heading out in search of anything and everything you have studied in your field guide, pick one or two things you really want to find.

When looking for plants, remember to stay away from places that are frequently sprayed with pesticides, like railroad tracks and roads, and always wash what you find before eating. When you find something, don’t be greedy: Leave some behind for the animals, birds, and other foragers.

Survival expert Ray Mears gives an excellent demonstration of foraging in the wild in this video:

Head Into the Neighborhood

Foraging is not limited to wild and rural areas. Many urban neighborhoods have fruit, nuts, and other edibles literally waiting to be plucked by pedestrians. Fallen Fruit is an organization that advocates planting an edible urban landscape. They also maintain maps of “public fruit,” or trees whose branches extend off of public property to overhang sidewalks, parks, and other public areas. The fruit growing on these branches can be harvested by anyone so its just a matter of finding the trees.

Find out more about urban foraging and the Fallen Fruit project in this video.

Further Reading

Foraging and plant identification is an art that takes years to master. For a more thorough introduction, try When Technology Fails, Revised and Expanded, by Matthew Stein . Some other classic books about foraging and plant identification include Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places, by Steve Brill, and The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, by Samual Thayer.

Also, check out this excellent introduction video from the How To Forge:

A world of free, local, food is waiting just outside your doors, so don’t wait: Reap the harvest today.

Community Connection

Interested in other ways you can be doing things DIY? Check out our Life interview with Matthew Stein to learn more about preparedness.