They say one person’s trash is another’s treasure, but who decides what counts as treasure?
For some, upcycling is an opportunity to make a small contribution toward a larger environmental change. For others, it’s about creating something beautiful out of the ordinary.
For Juka Garibaldi, upcycling is more than just creating. It’s transforming his love for sustainability into a career.
The owner of Jukaland Psychedelic Accessories uses toys found at thrift stores and other second-hand outlets to create unique pieces of jewellery, including keychains and other accessories for people of all ages.
“I love my creations. I love toys. I love the idea [that I’m] helping the planet with my art,” said Garibaldi.
His art is not only an act of passion for creating, but also a form of restoration.
“It’s important for me, for my conscience,” Garibaldi said in an interview with the Calgary Journal.
Although Garibaldi doesn’t have a store yet, he loves to show off his pieces at markets across the city.
Garibaldi sees customers of all ages buying his pieces.
He especially loves to explain his work to youth and children.
“I love to talk [about] these processes [to] new generations, because new generations [are] the key for a new planet.”
Like Garibaldi, a growing number of consumers are prioritizing sustainability, reflected in the rise of secondary markets such as thrift stores, consignment shops, and online resale platforms.
The 2018 Kijiji Second-Hand Economy Index report says that more than 740 million clothing items and accessories were reused in Canada the previous year.
Younger generations in particular are driving this shift, placing greater value on mindful consumption.
“Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they are…being influenced by the influences,” said Shweta Chugh, department of earth and environmental sciences instructor at Mount Royal University. “And as we see more and more social media people talk about it, I feel hopeful that there is an understanding that [the] planet is limited. It’s finite.”
Kids of all ages learn in school about the importance of recycling, Chugh said. And although rewarding, recycling requires a lot of energy to turn one item into something new.
“Sometimes when we are recycling plastic, we…end up with something more dangerous than what we had started before.”
Unlike recycling, upcycling is a sustainable practice that doesn’t currently have its own industry.
Although a tiny minority, many people, like Garibaldi, have made upcycling their hobby, work, and lifestyle.
Upcycling is a chance to turn what would be junk into something useful. Small steps toward waste reduction can inspire change, because maybe treasure isn’t what we find—it’s what we choose to create from what’s left behind.
Video: The Calgary Journal’s Sadaf Karami reports on upcycling in Calgary