Old Becomes New

We live on a finite planet, yet we use its resources as if they were infinite. Every type of manufactured product from the smallest container to the largest vehicle has built-in obsolescence. That means it will one day be scrapped, and we will need to replace it with a new one. The mountains of plastic in our seas and landfills, plus the cars, clothes and everything else that we throw away, are a testament to this culture of waste... and it is growing. The population of the world has doubled in just 50 years, from 4 billion in 1973 to 8 billion today. More people, creates more waste, and more depletion of our natural resources. Fortunately, there are those who are working to turn this around by changing the way we think about our “throwaway culture”.

Upcycling, on the other hand, does not destroy the product. It takes something that is considered waste, and gives it a second life or a new function. A simple example is a pallet coffee table. Upcycling transforms a used pallet into a lovely piece of furniture. This is why it is called “up” cycling because it increases the value of the item. There are people right here on Ibiza who are doing wonderful work in these areas. Carla Silva runs Mimos Project, which specializes in upcycling furniture and fixtures in all areas of the home. Her passion is modernizing and giving a new life to pieces that are old or worn out. Using ecological sustainable products and a variety of techniques, she can magically transform the old into the new: furniture, bathrooms, kitchens, fireplaces, doors, gates and much more. All it takes is a bit of imagination and a little work, to turn an old cabinet, table or chair into something that is attractive and useful. Sometimes just a different colour of paint will do the trick. Carla also hosts interactive workshops to show people how to do these things for themselves.