Material Bank

Upcycling Materials

Waste in upcycling is considered useful material for design and valuable recycling resource for a sustainable Earth.
The Upcycling Material Bank is a place connecting providers and consumers of upcycling materials.

Upcycling 100% = Waste 0%

Upcycling Material Bank
: What is its purpose?

The upcycling design industry is a manufacturing industry that adds designs to waste, creating new products. The development and vitalization of manufacturing is decided by the three components of production - resource, technique, and funds. Resource, in the upcycling design industry, is the waste produced 390,000 tons per day. Then, when our technology, meaning designs and funds, are ready, it may seem like vitalizing this industry would be easier than others. It seems this industry would not have issues with importing resources, scarcity of resources, nor price of resources. But that is not the reality.

One of the main reasons that Korea’s upcycling design industry could not be as active is because of the unstable waste supplies. There is an overflow of waste, one of the three components that is produced every day in our daily lives, yet supplying waste is unstable. The current structure of the industry is too simple because material suppliers and designers are the only ones existing in the industry. The flow of materials and its relevant information is exchanged directly between the two parties. The asymmetrical information inevitably causes difficulties in acquiring upcycling materials and increasing price. The reality of upcycling design industry is that there is no reasonable connection between the suppliers and consumers, though so much waste is produced each day. This is what threatens the industry that is called the 21st alchemist industry. We have to make that reasonable connection. That is the purpose of this Material Bank.

The Connection of Culture, Society, and Economy
: The Role of Upcycling Material Bank

The fundamental reason for the bank is to connect suppliers and consumers. The purpose of establishing the Upcycling Material Bank is to provide a wholesome connection between the upcycling material providers and consumers. We hope to become a platform in which the waste is traded fairly and establish an online ecosystem for such trades, as well as to play the role of selling in the offline realm. The Upcycling Material Bank aspires to integrate upcycled designs into the society, expand the industry to become a trend in the culture and lifestyles, and play a crucial role in the economy. Furthermore, we plan to provide the space for education, entertainment, information, and networking for the upcycling design industry.

Seoul Upcycling Plaza: The Vision of Upcycling Material Bank

Vision
  • Becoming the world’s prominent ecosystem hub for upcycling society, culture, and economy
  • Establishing a 100% upcycling, and zero-waste city
Goals for Phase 1 (2018 - 2020)
  • Upcycling discussions, establishing & expanding the industry
  • Establishing international networks
  • Establishing infrastructure for hosting international upcycling
  • Completing on/off-line platforms
Goals for Phase 2 (2020 - 2022)
  • World’s prominent ecosystem hub for upcycling
  • Continual discussion of upcycling and expansion of the industry
Final Goals
  • Establishing Seoul as the world’s prominent upcycling ecosystem hub
    • - Matching suppliers and consumers, establishing a structure for customized collection, production, manufacturing, and supplying of upcycled materials
    • - Seoul as the host city of International upcycling documenta
    • - Upcycling society, culture, economy, and content database through on/off-line platforms
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