Alyssa VanPelt-Cathcart, Staff Writer
Last Tuesday, Apr. 8, the UpCycle Expo was one of the many events held during Green Dragon Week to promote sustainability. The concept of upcycling is taking something that would have been thrown away and turning it into something creative or usable. The event had a variety of tablings such as audio upcycling, embroidery, origami, Making CENT$, revival of apparel, and many more.
One of the tables at the event focused on spoon carving. The students at the table explained this would be a good alternative to buying plastic spoons or metal spoons. They listed ten reasons why to carve wooden spoons by hand. The first reason being the spoons are made from recyclable and easily accessible materials. The second reason is they leave little to no carbon footprint. And the final reason is they can reduce the use of plastic or throwaway spoons. The students said it doesn’t cost much to get tools for the craving and it gives you the chance to develop your creative abilities. They also say through this you can actually learn more about the different types of wood and trees to make the spoons. Some spoons are meant for soup and other spoons are for cooking. At their table, there were spoons made back in 1980. The students encouraged people to consider these as gifts for friends and family.
Another popular table at the event was hosted by KnitWits. The club broke down sweaters into yarn strands and bundled them. “A 2018 survey by The National Needle Arts Association found that the average knitter spent eight hundred and thirty-five dollars a year on yarn,” said members of KnitWits. By upcycling yarn, it can reduce the cost significantly. Lulu Quincy Burkowski, the club’s president, was present at the event and expressed how excited the club was to participate in the Upcycling Expo once received an email invitation.
Burkowski revealed she learned knitting when she was ten-years-old but didn’t find a passion for it until a few years back. When Burkowski was accepted to SUNY Oneonta, she used Campus Connection to see what clubs there were prior to starting. KnitWits was listed but, during her freshman year, she couldn’t attend regularly. But by her sophomore year, Burkowski could attend more regularly and became the public relations officer for the KnitWit E-Board. According to Burkowski, KnitWits is one of the few crafty clubs here on campus. They specialize in knitting, rocheting, and provide a space to teach students how. Burkowski said being able to stop reusable garbage from going to a landfill is a win, but turning it into something like yarn is an even bigger win.
Upcycling is an excellent practice! Some easy ways to upcycle would be thrifting or reusing take-out containers. For more ways to upcycle, visit the Office of Sustainability Office in Hunt Union.
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