Upcycle

The entries for yet another awesome Etsy contest have rolled in. This time, the contest is co-sponsored by William McDonaugh and Michael Braugart, the authors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The theme is "upcycling", a term the co-authors coined for the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. In this contest, Etsy challenged users to create an object made from materials that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. You can view all unsold entries over at Etsy.

Winning entries won't be officially announced until February 1st, via the Etsy blog, but below are my top five favorites (in no particular ranking):