Upcycler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Someone or something that transforms discarded materials into new items of greater value or quality, rather than simply recycling them into raw material
2. A person, business or machine that takes waste or unwanted objects and turns them into more useful or attractive products
3. One who reworks used goods or refuse into improved creations, giving old materials a second life with added worth

Etymology: "Upcycler" is simply "upcycle" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names a person (or sometimes a business) that upcycles. The verb "upcycle" itself is the more interesting part of the story: it describes turning discarded materials into something of higher value or quality, the "up" signalling improvement rather than simply reuse. The suffix "-er" comes from Old English "-ere," a common way of forming words for someone who performs an action, as in "baker" or "writer."

Synonyms: recycler