As a relatively new concept in the world of mainstream consumerism, we frequently are battling some pretty heavy questions, most to bring about awareness about upcycling, our processes in design, procurement and so on.. but sometimes, we have been asked some unique questions or UnUsUal FAQs that have left us stumped! Here are a few examples to show you what we mean!
Wow, this is REcycled! oh, Upcycled? What’s the difference, even?
This is the most common unusual FAQ we get asked and the answer to this question is “A pretty big one”, to be honest. Upcycling does fall under the umbrella of Recycling. By definition, Upcycling means the reuse of otherwise discarded objects or materials in a way that creates a product of higher quality or value than the original. In simpler terms, upcycling not only continues the lifespan of a material or object but also adds value to it. The main differentiating factor between Recycling and Upcycling is that Upcycling maintains the structural integrity of the material, which means, it is not broken down to the molecular level of its being, the same cannot be said for Recycling. Because of this innate quality in the processing, Upcycling consumes less energy than Recycling and is a lot more cost-effective as a whole process compared to Recycling!
With Upcycling, there is also a shorter supply chain, where the pre-consumer waste is sourced directly from factories and their wholesale distributors, cutting out the many middlemen usually involved in mainstream production processes.
Here are three main benefits of Upcycling, which are,
- Minimizes the Extraction of Natural Resources.
- Reduces the Waste that end up in Landfills.
- Less Manufacturing therefore Lesser Carbon Emissions.
Upcycling is the most efficient and effective method of waste management and is a highly useful weapon of choice in our fight against climate change and our march towards a sustainable future on our planet.
Since your products are made from “waste”, why are they not ‘dirt cheap’?
This is another unusual FAQ we get quite often and we would like to set the record straight, right here, right now!
This question reflects how we, as a society tend to view waste as worthless or useless – when in fact it can be a valuable resource. This “waste” may have a past and a story to tell – just like the best of us – but that does not necessarily mean that beauty cannot still be found in it or that the quality is compromised.
More importantly, the question should not be, why are our products not cheap, but actually, why are mainstream products SO cheap? Back in the day, if anything is coming to you at a lesser rate, it was obvious that there is something wrong with it or there was some shady business involved behind that product or service. People were wary of low prices and with good reason! The same holds true even today. With fast fashion and mindless consumption raging rampant through our modern world, we fail to give a second thought as to why there are constant “discounts”, all-time “clearance sales” and “irresistible offers”. The truth behind these “attractive prices” is a rather sinister one. The cost of creating a product has not changed, in fact, the cost of acquiring raw materials and transportation has shot up exponentially over the last few decades. We, as consumers, are not privy to the hidden costs involved in the production process and therein lies our problem statement. By employing thousands in sweatshops in under-developed countries and using sub-par raw materials, production costs have been cut short and big brands using their goodwill (oh, the irony), rake in unfathomable gains, choosing profits over ethics all the time! And the consumers are none the wiser!
Products that have been upcycled require skill and imagination to transform them into something new and useful. It is a highly challenging process, skill-wise and extremely time-consuming. There is a lot of time and labour that goes into assessing each material to ensure we gain maximum utility out of it. It also takes time and labour to source, prepare and deconstruct each material in order to get it ready – even before the redesigning and remaking stage.
Our Rimagined team includes women from low-income backgrounds, traditional handloom weavers and master tailors who lost their jobs in this unstable economy. We provide training and employ them for their specialities, giving them a chance at a dignified livelihood with humane working conditions, skill training and a legitimate chance to thrive and excel. Our pricing includes the cost of their well-being and the effort employed by them to create the stunning products you witness in our collections.
Can I get this in another size or another colour?
The short answer is, well, no.
The long answer is with upcycling, we have no control over the “raw materials” we procure. We collect all the fabric “waste” from textile factories, garment makers and upscale boutiques; these production units usually use great lengths of material and discard the cut pieces, in no particular colour. These pieces vary in size and unlike the big factories that work with seemingly unlimited lengths of cloth, it is infinitely harder to work with cut pieces. Rimagined does it anyway, putting out captivating Capsule Collections of Apparel. Conceptualizing the clothing after acquiring the “raw material” unlike the mainstream process where the concept is finalized before the raw material can be acquired. Each and every single piece of cloth that comes to Rimagined, no matter the length or hue, we utilize them all. You may find small coloured patches on some of our apparel. This is done for aesthetic purposes, yes, as a random patchwork design, but more importantly, we adhere to our “no waste/minimal waste” policy to the dot and if not for being turned into patches, these tiny pieces of cloth would end up in the bin and worse, later rotting in landfills.
When we work within this upcycling process, each item created is unique and cannot be replicated, as we would usually have enough material to make one, perhaps pushing to two, of the same kind. For example, we would have enough material to create one Balloon Dress, not enough to make another full-length dress, so we will use the rest of the material for a short top, or a crop top! And so, there is usually no option for “larger/smaller/another” size or colour in a particular apparel. It is indeed a challenge to take up this kind of work, but we at Rimagined love challenges and you get to reap the gorgeous benefits of the results!
Can I get this Tyre Tube product in a different colour than black?
Honestly, this one really left us gobsmacked. We did not realise that we would have to brush up on our 8th-grade chemistry to answer FAQs, but here we are.
Let’s begin with, why are Tyres, Tyre Tubes and related wheels, black?
Rubber, in its natural state, after extraction is milky white, and so in the 1800’s, when motor vehicles were invented and changed the paradigm of human locomotion, tyres were white too! But as automobiles evolved, it was discovered that the white rubber tyres were inefficient in the durability required and so, Tyre manufacturers added soot to tyre formulations to extend the life of the tyres.
Years later, a new substance known as carbon black replaced soot in the formulation process, which greatly improved tyre strength and its durability.
Tyres are primarily black in colour because this substance – carbon black (a chemical compound) that is added to the rubber mixture during the tyre manufacturing process. Carbon black is a fine black powder which is added to rubber as a chemical stabiliser to improve its durability and grip on the road.
Additionally, the black colour also conceals scuffs and marks caused by normal wear and tear, keeping the tyre looking newer for longer.
As we Upcycle Tyre Tubes, we are not breaking the rubber down to its elemental state or changing its chemical composition and therefore cannot dye or treat it with any other element to change its colour, instead, we transform the tubes into sheets, clean and treat them for production and create our awesome Tyre Tube Range of products! So, no, our Tyre Tube Range is available only in the classic shade of Black!
Why do you claim your whole product is Upcycled when you actually use brand new accessories and fittings?
At Rimagined, we are committed to creating high-quality products and more importantly, changing the perception of how “waste” and upcycled items are viewed in society. Upcycled products do not just refer to DIY products that we niftily create at home from that one odd item. “Wasted” material has so much untapped potential that is going unnoticed. Rimagined aims at bringing this full potential to light and we do that by creating high-quality products with the excellent make, expertly handcrafted and embellished with new accessories, fittings and fixtures. We emphasise on using new accessories and fittings because we are making products whose lifespan is well more than the average compared to mainstream products. All our products are created with a crystal-clear focus on utility and efficiency. Using the very traits of the materials that make them “tough and non-biodegradable” to our advantage, we increase their utility and durability function by investing in good quality accessories and fittings, so we are promoting a truly sustainable lifestyle beyond the sale of our product. You can rest assured that if you invest, yes invest, not purchase, a product of Rimagined, it will be in your life for a few decades, without a doubt. You can even keep them safe and pass it on as an heirloom piece to your offspring and then some, giving a whole new meaning to the circular economy!