Upcycling Quotes

“Every business should be thinking about their flywheel and the way that value is upcycled internally.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“If you'd like to gain a new understanding of upcycling and recycling, get into gardening.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“Everything we need to know about upcycling, we can learn from fungi.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr

“Nature abhors waste. And so should we.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“If you wanna learn about upcycling, go meditate in a forest.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“There are major economic opportunities in human waste. Instead of flushing it down the toilet as waste, we should find ways to upcycle it at scale into various systems as a resource that adds value and facilitates cyclicality.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“It's unwise to waste resources, and it's also unwise to waste capacity. Every system should maximize utilization.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth

“Based on the parts of this... this scene that are not covered in refuse, and the drawings you have done for me, I know you are an artist with talent. Maybe I have old-fashioned views, but I simply don't understand why you would spend your time creating something like this." He shrugged his shoulders. "The sort of art I am used to seeing is more..."
I raised an eyebrow. "More what?"
He bit his lip, as though searching for the right words. "Pleasant to look at, I suppose." He shrugged again. "Scenes from nature. Little girls wearing filly white dresses and playing beside riverbanks. Bowls of fruit."
"This piece shows a beach and a lake," I pointed out. "It's a scene from nature."
"But it's covered in refuse."
I nodded. "My art combines objects I find with images I paint. Sometimes what I find and incorporate is literal trash. But I also feel that my art is more than just trash. It's meaningful. These pieces aren't just flat, lifeless images on canvas. They say something."
"Oh." He came even closer to the landscapes, kneeling so he could peer at them up close. "And what does your art... say?"
His nose was just a few inches from an old McDonald's Quarter Pounder wrapper I'd laminated to the canvas so it looked like it was rising out of Lake Michigan. I'd meant for it to represent capitalism's crushing stranglehold on the natural world. Also, it just sort of looked cool.
But I decided to give him a broader explanation.
"I want to create something memorable with my art. Something lasting. I want to give people who see my works an experience that won't fade away. Something that will stay with them long after they see it."
He frowned skeptically. "And you accomplish that by displaying ephemera others throw away?"
I was about to counter by telling him that even the prettiest painting in the fanciest museum faded from memory once the patrons went home. That by using things other people throw away, I took the ephemeral and make it permanent in a way no pretty watercolor ever could.”
― Jenna Levine, My Roommate Is a Vampire

“I paid $7.00 for my prom gown. The summer before prom, I coveted an upscale boutique's $350.00 window-displayed couture gown, however realistically I knew I could never afford to purchase it. I watched and patiently waited as the dress was repeatedly marked down. The sales clerks told me they were planning to chuck the dress in the dumpster solely because the dress had loose threads in a seam, and no one at the boutique could sew. (What a shame!) Not only could I sew the seam, but also I could customize the gown for the perfect fit. I was both elated at my beautiful find and shocked at how my purchase prevented yet another unwanted garment from being added to a landfill."
(Excerpt from Lisa’s diary)”
― ——Author Lisa Mummy-Wallig, MA, RDN