To understand the brilliance of Relevé Design (pun intended) , I think it is important to understand some of the differences between recycling, repurposing and upcycling. Relevé explains this as the following:
- Recycling: downgrades the properties of a material (also referred to as “downcycling”). The material weakens each time it is recycled.
- Repurposing: is not always eco-friendly because it uses new and/or usable things
- Upcycling: Only uses unwanted/discarded materials
Designer Bao Khang Luu takes upcycling to another level with his unique lighting creations. “In our case, we save six-pack rings from being dumped into a landfill or downcycled into low quality plastic, and we make them into new, fabulous lighting.”
The ethereal pendants are assigned names with numbers. The numbers refer to the amount of six pack rings used to make the lamps.
Great post…not many people know the actual differences between the 3.
These are really awesome and cool! Take a look at my blog, and if you like it follow me, I’ll be waiting for you!
Cosa mi metto???
wow, they are pretty cool. kind of remind me of jellyfish.
they are fantastic! they remind me of the work of Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. hugs
wow…these are amazing!!
I love the idea of upcycling but after reading your post, I think I often repurpose instead…so thank you for the education 🙂
Also, these light fixtures are INCREDIBLE – so inspired and inspiring! I love that they have come up with a beautiful and creative way to use a material that has done so much damage.
Jenn