upcycle

1. (transitive) To convert (waste materials, etc.) into new materials or products of higher quality and greater functionality.Examples: "Recycling in many cases means "downcycling" – in particular cases, however, it can also mean "upcycling"."; "As I child I made thins from "nothing." If I didn't have any store-bought materials, I would go to my closet and cut up my least favorite article of clothing and make something new with it. It just made sense to use, reuse, upcycle and make things from scratch."; "For Tom Szaky, founder and chief executive of TerraCycle, which collects used plastic bags, juice pouches, cookie wrappers and other items that cannot be recycled and ‘upcycles’ or morphs them into items such as messenger bags, tote bags, and pencil cases, trash is a raw material and the key to a multimillion-dollar, ecocapitalist (ad)venture[…]."transitive

2. (transitive) To promote into a more productive or useful role.Examples: "One designer I know was known for his vibrant use of color in his fashions. When he purchased a weekend home not too far from me, he had this crazy idea to paint the bark of the trees in different bright shades. […] To me, this wasn't upcycling the Great Outdoors, but more like upchucking on it."; "Friday night's crowning victory at The Hawthorns was the 25th in 30 league matches since Antonio Conte's decisive re-gearing of his team in September, the tactical switches that have coaxed such a thrilling run from this team of bolt-ons and upcycled squad players, most notably Victor Moses, who was dredged out of the laundry bin in the autumn to become a key part of the title surge."; ""[...] We are upcycling the trains we have, to ensure they last longer and give a better service.""transitive