Upcycling has existed for longer than we think. A Londoner could walk past hundreds of these fences, and never know they were looking at Second World War stretchers. During the war, the Air Raid Precaution organisation designed and created around 600,000 stretchers to be used across the country during the height of the Blitz. After the war ended and the city needed to rebuild, the steel panels were put to good use by the Greater London Authority as fences, they still exist to this day.
In India, fabrics are upcycled. Crafts people rescue distressed historical fabrics with this simple form of stitching and repurpose.” He points out that kantha is simply the latest example of Eastern traditions influencing lifestyles in the West.
