upcycle

[uhp-sahy-kuhl]

verb (used with object)

upcycled, upcycling 

1. to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.

   I upcycled a stained tablecloth into curtains.

verb (used without object)

upcycled, upcycling 

1. to process goods or material so as to produce something that is often better than the original.

   Several new companies whose purpose is to upcycle have sprung up recently.

noun

1. Economics.,  a period or cycle during which business activity or profitability is at a high point.

   The whole industry has entered an upcycle.

Other Word Forms

• upcycler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of upcycle¹

First recorded in 1990–95; up + (re)cycle

Example Sentences

That could increase the chances and magnitude of a freight upcycle, but those changes could take time as “insufficient enforcement resources across a mobile and highly-fragmented industry” won’t make it immediate, the analysts say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

An AI-driven semiconductor upcycle and steady demand for nontech goods from markets outside the U.S. contributed to the trade-dependent economy’s better-than-expected exports in the first three quarters, offsetting the drag from trade headwinds, Oh says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

We’ve worked with the most committed pecan shellers to upcycle pecan pieces and capture nut meats to preserve their nutrition.

Read more on Salon

It is a clever way to upcycle materials that may otherwise end up in landfills.

Read more on Seattle Times

“The increase in geo-political tensions around the world is driving a fundamental rearmament upcycle which is expected to last for at least the next decade,” said Chemring chief executive Michael Ord.

Read more on BBC