What Is Upcycling?
How Rice Husks Save Waste
Over the last several decades, we have been encouraged to recycle for the good of the environment, and it’s made a difference! In the United States alone, 32% of generated trash was diverted from disposal in 2018 thanks to recycling and composting.
We can do even more with upcycling!
For agricultural waste in particular, which is organic matter rather than man-made material, there is a wealth of potential to be tapped. In the būmi community, we’re starting with rice husks.
What DOes Upcycling mean?
Upcycling means to take waste material that would normally be disposed of—as in sent to a landfill or burned—and turning them into something new. In other words, upcycling looks at waste and says, “Hey, I can do something with that!” and prevents it from ending up in the garbage.
Take textile waste, for example. Instead of contributing to the millions of tons of fabrics sent to landfills annually, pieces of shirts can be turned into colorful quilts and leftover scraps can be used as filling inside a larger upcycled product (like pillows or stuffed animals).
The waste we start with doesn’t have to be the remnants of a useful item: We can do amazing things with agricultural waste, too! It’s all part of the same goal for sustainability.
What are the benefits of upcycling?
With upcycling, we can halt the waste disposal process before it ever reaches a landfill or incinerator. Disposing of it is, well, a waste! Just think of what we can do when we turn it into usable material instead.
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Prevent usable material from being thrown away to rot over centuries.
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Lower manufacturing costs.
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Reduce carbon footprint—with būmi, this can be up to 42%!
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Turn “waste” into functional and appealing products.
…and much more!
While recycling is important and worth doing, that familiar triangle with interlocking arrows found on plastics doesn’t always mean the product is recyclable. That triangle actually refers to a product’s resin code, and the majority of the recyclable plastics have a 1 (PET and rPET) or a 2 (HDPE and rHDPE). The rest? Much more likely to end up in a landfill anyway despite your best intentions.
What are rice husks?
Rice husks are what’s left behind during the rice milling process. Also called rice hulls, they are the part of the plant that covers and protects the rice grain inside. When we produce rice, the husks are removed and discarded as by-products, becoming agricultural waste.
In 2022, over 775 million metric tons of rice was produced globally, with the top three producers being China, India, and Indonesia. In 1994 this was just over 539 million metric tons. As the world population grows, so too does rice production. It is the third most produced commodity, after all.
Now, imagine how much waste in the form of rice husks that amount of production generates.
Rice husk composition
The rice husk accounts for about a fifth of a rice kernel’s weight. In order from highest to lowest, rice husk composition includes cellulose, lignin, silica (or ash), and moisture. Compared to other plants, the high percentage of silica found in rice husk—roughly 20%—is unusual. Combined with the lignin, this contributes to rice husks’ high resistance to water penetration and fungal decomposition.
what becomes of rice waste?
Historically, rice waste has been used for mulch, animal bedding, and cattle feeding, but the bigger issue is when it’s sent to a landfill or burned to dispose of it. Given that 20% of the harvested rice is rice husk, there is over 150 million tons of rice husk waste per year. This is unsustainable.
When burned, rice husk ash is deposited into open environments, causing pollution to the surrounding water and land. The resulting high CO2 emissions exacerbate health issues and contribute to the greater global problem of climate change.
So, what can we do about it?
What can you do with rice husks?
Despite being classified as agricultural waste, rice husks are full of potential. Rather than using petroleum-based plastics for things like utensils or single-use bags, rice husks can be upcycled into biodegradable polymers to create a better version of those same products. By disrupting the cycle of conventional plastics and embracing bioplastics—such as those made from rice husks—we can address two waste problems at once.
Replace plastic containers, straws, and utensils
Plastic has become a large part of how we dine. To-go plastic containers store our food in the fridge until we’re ready to reheat it in the microwave. We drink hot and cold beverages with straws and cut into our takeout with flimsy forks and knives that sometimes warp even as we eat!
But, have you considered that these plastics make their way into our food? Multiple studies have shown that, in some plastic food containers, there are chemicals that have long-term harmful effects on our health. By using biodegradable containers made from rice husks, we can eat from containers and with utensils that have minimal or no harmful chemicals. They look and feel good, too! They’re durable and heat-resistant, making them more than suitable for our various dining needs.
Eliminate negative environmental impact
Even when we do our best to recycle plastics, we can only do so much. Once it leaves our hands and goes to whatever waste or recycling facility it’s destined for, its fate is beyond our control.
Using rice husk products instead saves the environment on two fronts. First, it reduces or eliminates our need for plastics. If there are no plastics to recycle, we’ve cut our carbon footprint before we’ve even taken a step. On the other end, by turning to rice husk bioplastics instead, we prevent agricultural waste from being burned and contributing to pollution and greenhouse gases. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone!
Frequently asked questions about upcycling and its benefits
Although upcycling has been around since the 40s—and in some ways, for centuries—the term itself was only introduced in 1994. There are understandably many questions surrounding how it differs from other sustainable practices and how rice rusks play a part, and we’re here to answer them!
What is the difference between upcycling and recycling?
Upcycling is taking discarded material and making it into something new, while recycling involves converting the waste into raw materials (“downcycling”) and then creating something similar. Recycling uses paper to make new paper, plastic to create new plastics, and so on. Upcycling goes a step beyond by making journals out of used paper, turning PET bottles into bird feeders, and designing biodegradable packaging using rice husks.
What is the difference between upcycling and repurposing?
Often used interchangeably, both upcycling and repurposing are variations on the “reuse” cycle of the three Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—but are carried out in slightly different ways. Repurposing means to take an object that would otherwise be trashed and use it in its current form as something else, but upcycling turns that waste into a new, better product.
Is rice husk a waste material?
Yes, rice husks are a by-product of the rice milling process that are subsequently disposed of. They are typically sent to a landfill or burned, but are increasingly being considered as a biodegradable alternative to materials like plastic.
Is rice husk eco-friendly?
When upcycled, rice husk is very eco-friendly! Instead of decomposing in a landfill, rice husk biodegrades in weeks when composted properly. For example, the products būmi creates from rice husks can even be turned into a natural fertilizer to help other plants grow.