If you travel in green circles, you may already be familiar with “upcycling.” But for those new to the term, upcyling simply means reusing an old product you’d otherwise throw away or toss in recycling. Upcycled items still retain the look of an original object, whereas recycling breaks down the material in that object to pure plastic, glass, or aluminum. Wondering why you should turn your empty wine bottle into a vase instead of letting it languish in the recycling bin? Learn the top three reasons why you should upcycle instead of recycle.