Upcycled design: From plastic bag to bicycle bag

Abstract

Upcycling is a method of turning waste or used goods into new materials to make products with higher functional and economic values than the original materials. This method aims to reduce the amount of product waste that is not used by converting it into potential, reprocessing into raw materials and new products. The plastic bag is one of the waste materials that can use again by the upcycling method. Plastic bags are one of the most significant contributors to waste in the world. Eco Watch data present that the percentage estimation of plastic waste is about 10% of the whole waste in the world. Indonesia is ranked second as the biggest waste producer globally, with a total amount of waste reaching 187.2 million tonnes. The purpose of processing waste material using the concept of upcycling is to reduce the amount of waste, especially plastic bag waste, and produce new products with economic value. An alternative product from processing plastic bag waste with plastic melting techniques is a bag for a bicycle rack. The product was chosen by considering the character of the upcycled material that is suitable for use as a bag material, with surface characteristics and textures that give a unique impression. In addition, the need for bicycle bags is increasing along with the increasing way people use bicycles as a mode of transportation during the pandemic.