Recycling: Upcycling vs. Downcycling
Most recycling sends material downwards on the “food chain”. Once the material is recycled, it’s of a lower quality than it started and is therefore less useful. Upcycling, on the other hand, takes a material beyond its original usefulness, moving it up the chain.
Which is exactly what designer Tom Ballhatchet has done with this television packaging — similar to what designer Eion McNally has done with computer packaging — by creating a shipping crate that can be converted into a television stand. Aimed at a lower-end market, this package design is perfect for all those 20-somethings who are more concerned about owning a big-screen than whether or not they have a sofa or a bed to sleep in.
—Danny Nathan
