What Would Your Nana Do? The Intergenerational Importance of Upcycling
If your not already on the upcycling bandwagon, you will be after hearing a nana tell you why you should be
Upcycling has been a part of our culture for a long time, but in the past, it wasn't always a trend or statement. It was a necessity. Today, upcycling is gaining momentum as a sustainable fashion solution that fulfills our streetwear fantasies whilst giving you a less guilty appeal to buy or make clothing. Turning your old now too-tight jeans into skirts, tights into tops (yes, that's a thing), and goodness knows what else. The world is your oyster and all you need is a pair of scissors and some thread.
This powerful force was pioneered by those before us and who better to provide insights than our grandmothers who have lived through it all?
Meet Doreen Tokatly, an 82-year-old war baby, who has witnessed the importance of upcycling firsthand as a means for survival, “my recycling necessity goes back through the mists of time to WW2, where every single thing was saved and preserved for future use, I have always upcycled, I was unaware that it had a name till a friend of mine chose to study it at university way back.” In the mid-1990s, German engineer Reiner Pilz coined the term, “upcycling” - viewing it as a way to describe the process of transforming waste material into something of higher value.
Tokatly feels that upcycling should be embedded in you from a young age and is aware that being able to learn from your family members is a privilege some don’t have, “I am lucky enough to say that I am being taught these things at school and home, but for those who have different situations and are without familialy support to teach them they should have the chance to learn this at school. Sewing skills should start in the classroom from a very young age. Not just sewing but even toy mending. It should be part of the curriculum, older generations could even be recruited to come in and teach these types of skills to younger generations. The beauty of sewing and upcycling is idea generation as much as the wonders it does for the planet.”
Viewing upcycling as a way of life, and throwaway culture as a complete no-no, Tokatly has two sayings that she will say to herself when holding a piece of unwanted or damaged clothing - ‘waste not want not’ and ‘make do and mend’ - both statements that the Bibi Bazz community know and love.
Courtesy of Unsplash
As she giggles and takes a bite of her biscuit, a doorbell starts to ring, and her good friend and neighbour comes for a natter at the perfect timing. For she is also a nana and one who is an avid upcycling lover, she told us why she loves it and how she likes to do it: “Well, I am quite obsessed with jewellery. To the point where it wouldn't be sustainable to feed the addiction. I have always made things from a young age but I hadn't in a while as I felt sucked up in the consumer mindset that this generation has heightened. My grandchildren started to show me what people were doing on the internet, and it made me remember how special it is to make things. So, I was lucky enough to spend lockdown with my grandchildren and we seized every moment. I had kept a box of broken beads and jewels from the many pieces of jewellery I had over the years - some were vintage - and we started upcycling them into new pieces.”
Tokatly’s lovely neighbour also found it hopeful to see her grandchildren eager to make and not buy, “you know although people started making things during lockdown, people also consume more than ever. I was proud to see them not be the same and to want to see how they don't often need to buy new things to feel that adrenaline.” She also mentioned how they all started to recycle more and save more things before binning, “we started seeing things completely differently, even lids, my granddaughter wanted to make earrings and a necklace out of them to match”.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation conducted a report in 2017, finding that the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of waste each year - much of which could be recycled and upcycled. This is one of the many statistics that show us why we need to ask ourselves what our nanas would do.
Tokatly sees the technological advancements as evidence that the majority of us have no excuse but to be informed on the facts. “What people need to understand today is the accessibility to information. Back in my day we did not know everything we know today, we were doing the right things in terms of cutting costs and rationing due to wars and economic crises - we didn't even realise it would be for an even greater cause like global warming. Now, it's inclusive, you can find out information and learn how to do things yourself. I do it. If I want to upcycle something, whether that is making a skirt out of jeans or even a strap for a bag - I learnt how to use Tik tok and Pinterest and I go and learn. If an 82-year-old can, I'm sure a 22-year-old could.”
We know the multitude of benefits upcycling has on society and the environment from reducing landfill, and air pollution and as Tokatly pushes it “encourages people to develop artisanal skills and craftsmanship. The only limits are your imagination.”
