This children’s article, What is National Upcycling Day?, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It helps children practise reading and comprehension, learn useful vocabulary, and explore creative and eco-friendly ideas for using old things in new ways. Perfect for kids curious about upcycling, recycling, and sustainability. Written by Sinead O’Carroll, an experienced teacher and writer.
When is National Upcycling Day?
National Upcycling Day takes place on 24 June every year. It’s a day to think about waste differently, not as rubbish, but as a chance to make something new, useful, or beautiful.
What is upcycling?
Upcycling means taking something old or unwanted and giving it a new life. It might be a broken chair turned into a plant stand, or a worn-out jumper made into a cushion cover.
Instead of throwing things away, we use our creativity to transform them into something new.
Why is upcycling important?
The world creates too much waste, especially from clothes, packaging, and plastic. This waste ends up in landfills or pollutes the environment.
Upcycling helps us reduce waste by making the most of what we already have.
It’s also better than recycling in some ways. Recycling often breaks things down to make something new. Upcycling keeps most of the original item, saving energy and materials.
So while recycling is good, upcycling can be even better!
Where did the idea come from?
People have reused and repaired things for thousands of years, but the word upcycling only became popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Since then, artists, designers, and everyday people have started to see old things as a chance to create something amazing.
What can you upcycle?
The short answer? Almost anything! People upcycle:
- Old clothes into new clothes, bags or toys
- Glass jars into plant pots
- Wooden pallets into garden furniture
- Broken crayons into colourful candles
- Magazines into jewellery or decorations
Some artists even build sculptures from scrap metal or old plastic!
Why should kids care about upcycling?
Upcycling is fun, creative, and planet-friendly.
It helps fight pollution, save resources, and stop things from being wasted. Plus, you don’t need lots of money or tools – just some imagination.
National Upcycling Day is a reminder that even small actions can help the planet. One old t-shirt turned into a tote bag might seem tiny, but if lots of people do it, it makes a big difference.
Here you’ll find a whole bunch of simple upcycling ideas to get you started – DIY Upcycling Activities.
The good thing is that the more you upcycle, the more your imagination will grow and let you come up with even more creative ideas.
Article vocabulary list
- Upcycling – turning something old into something new, useful or creative
- Landfill – a place where we put rubbish that can’t be recycled
- Transform – to change something completely
- Waste – things that are thrown away or no longer needed
- Sustainability – living in a way that protects the planet for the future
- Resources – natural materials like wood, water, and oil that we use to make things
- Creativity – using your imagination to make or think of new things
- Pollution – harmful things added to the environment, like plastic in oceans or smoke in the air
Comprehension questions
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1. When is National Upcycling Day celebrated?
a) 5 June
b) 31 October
c) 24 June
Answer: c) 24 June
2. What does upcycling mean?
Answer: Turning old or unwanted things into something new or useful.
3. How is upcycling different from recycling?
a) Upcycling breaks things down
b) Upcycling keeps most of the original item
c) Upcycling creates waste
Answer: b) Upcycling keeps most of the original item.
4. Why is upcycling good for the planet?
Answer: It reduces waste, saves resources, and keeps things out of landfill.
5. What kind of waste is growing quickly around the world?
a) Food waste
b) Textile waste
c) Paper waste
Answer: b) Textile waste
6. Which of these could you upcycle?
a) A plastic bottle
b) A holey sock
c) A cereal box
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
7. Why might someone turn a jumper into a cushion cover?
Answer: To reuse the fabric in a fun and useful way.
Sinead is a writer and EFL teacher with eight years’ experience. She’s a native English speaker who loves making news stories fun and easy to understand for children around the world. Her passions include travel, animals, and helping to make the world a kinder, more sustainable place.
