It’s easy to be green. A little too easy in some cases, if the crafty members of Etsy.com and their upcycled, earth-friendly wares are any example. Upcycling is the practice of taking useless or waste materials to make something that is useful and often better. For every beautiful, reconstructed vintage dress and kitschy tote bag made entirely of Kool-Aid packets there are items that are really just trash. The satirical, read-at-your-own risk website, regretsy.com, has a highlight reel of some of these items listed under the category of “garbage”.  There are some items highlighted that are solid attempts at upcycling. The crafter is clearly trying to utilize what they have on hand and was inspired by the world around them. After all, necessity is the mother of invention, right?

It’s not just Etsy that carries upcycled products. Even big box retailers, like Barnes & Noble, are getting in on the fun with office supplies woven from old newspapers in their “Eco Friendly Gifts” section. But what if there isn’t a need for what is being sold? Consumers are starting to make difficult decisions between buying new or used products if they buy anything at all. Huge shopping holidays loom on the horizon. Terms like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are being thrown about and it can be easy for even the most conscientious consumer to get caught up in the fervor of the season and lose sight of their carbon footprint. The most important rule for sellers, large and small, to remember is: “Something is only worth what someone will pay for it.” and if no one is willing to pay for your upcycled item, even a well-designed one, everyone loses.

Decorative wreaths and bookmarks made from cereal box cardboard are cute until you start to consider the energy spent to get that item across the country or world if it is ordered. Is it really cost effective, not to mention earth-friendly, to send a few cents worth of cardboard on a journey via plane and truck? Instead of buying that cereal box magazine holder with old maps pasted on it, try making it yourself. Or better yet simply recycle the cardboard and paper through the local program your town has already provided. While you’re at it ditch the magazines for online versions or get them at the library. There won’t be a need for the upcycled holder if you aren’t even collecting the magazines in the first place. Not everything needs to be upcycled and recycling is one of the simplest ways to be green.