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Holiday crafting is a time-honored tradition, so why not combine it with some “green” thinking? Upcycling is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful or new. When you upcycle an object, you are giving it a new purpose. Why is upcycling good for the planet? Because upcycling reduces the raw materials you need to consume as well as reduces the amount of waste and pollution you create. The concept of upcycling is nothing new, it came from the post-depression era when families had to make do with very few material resources. Now upcycling has become a part of our culture to protect the Earth and is a savvy way of life for practical people wanting to minimize their carbon footprint. Our zero waste team recently went to Holmes Elementary School in Spring Lake to test out some adorable upcycled crafts using easy-to-get items like bottle caps, mason jar rings, puzzle pieces and socks. Turns out, kids can easily create some unique and creative holiday gifts with the very simple message of protecting the Earth. Here are some great upcycled crafts we researched and completed with kids ages 5-10 that you can also try at home!