Word of the Week: Upcycling

Upcycling: the practice of converting waste materials into products of greater value--beer bottles into building materials, for example. Coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their 2003 book "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things" (North Point Press). Different from "recycling," which turns waste back into the same thing over and over.