We also consider "upcycling", which involves taking used materials and increasing their value. For example, by taking an old shirt that someone won't wear just because they've dropped a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar on it, printing over the top of it and perhaps cutting into it to make it fit with current trends. It's very quick and easy. I can upcycle a worn-out ordinary shirt into a designer handprinted B.Earley one.

Mr. Kalin is big on ''upcycling,'' a process whose name was coined by William McDonough, an architect, and Michael Braungart, a chemist, in their 2002 book, ''Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.'' They used the term to describe the process of taking something that's essentially waste and moving it up the consumer-goods chain. ''I love upcycling,'' Mr. Kalin said. ''I love this idea of bringing something from lower down and elevating it.''

Recycling in many cases means "downcycling" — in particular cases, however, it can also mean "upcycling".