Do you want to make the world a better place? It seems like everyone does. Imagine what could happen if saving the planet could also be a sustainable form of income! One change that we see happening is with the perception of reused materials.
Generally, people think of reused materials as less valuable than brand new products. Many times, they are right! Recycled products are often less durable, less attractive, and less expensive. Recycled products thus become less profitable and more likely to be thrown away. However, that perception is changing through a trend called upcycling. Thanks to the success of platforms like Etsy and Hipcycle, small business entrepreneurs have crafted new, beautiful products out of reused materials. When a product’s re-incarnated version is as valuable as, or even more valuable than their first use, it is considered “upcycled.”
While the upcycling trend has grown in the U.S. over the last decade, it is not a new concept. Prior to and during World War II, families often found new uses for materials because of economic necessity. Items were not thrown away until they were no longer usable. Wooden crates became coffee tables, wine bottles became vases and garments became pillow cases. Over the years, consumers have been programmed to accept planned obsolescence as a way of life. Consumers not only want new things, but they also have grown to dislike and discard things that are no longer new. Upcycling returns to the spirit of putting obsolete items to a new, creative use instead of sending them directly to landfill.
Although the planet-friendly habit of reusing materials may seem like a re-emerging trend in the U.S., it continues to be a way of life in many civilizations around the world. That includes Gano Excel’s home in Malaysia. For example, at Gano Excel, you could take the medium we use to grow the world’s finest Ganoderma lucidum. It uses rice paddy rusks, sawdust and other organic materials set aside while harvesting nutritious crops for food. Instead of sending these to landfill, Gano Excel harnesses the tremendous quality and value these natural materials have for cultivating excellent Ganoderma lucidum. In essence, they produce Ganoderma lucidum products that are even more valuable than the original crops they came from.
From a consumer’s point of view, upcycling has a compelling value. But is it actually profitable for businesses? Plainly, that is the whole point, according to Hipcycle CEO Renee Hansen. With a background in finance for Fortune 500 companies, Hansen was drawn to the eco-friendly e-commerce site for its sustainable business model. The site retails eco-friendly “upcycled” products by acting as a portal for customers to browse and purchase items from small businesses all around the world. Hipcycle curates products that add creative aesthetic and value to the repurposed materials that give them a market value competitive to their mainstream counterparts. That way, it provides profits to the small businesses, beautiful products to the customer and most important to Hansen, saves more usable waste from landfills.
Likewise, Gano Excel is about improving the world by spreading health and wealth through its Ganoderma-enriched products. As each Affiliate shares, we move one step further in making a positive impact on the world. Join us!