Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business
Explore the concept of upcycling, its link to sustainable development, and how you can start your own upcycling business.
7,397 enrolled on this course
Duration
3 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business
Understand upcycling, how to make upcycling products and start up a company
Have you ever turned unwanted objects or waste materials into entirely new products? Upcycling is the ideal way to combine creative ideas with a passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship.
On this course, you will learn how to apply the key concepts of upcycling to real-life practice. You will explore how to start upcycling, the link between upcycling and the Sustainable Development Goals, and learn about successful case study examples.
You will also get inspired by business upcycling ideas, receive guidance on how to start your own company, and learn how to fund and market your products.
Syllabus
Week 1
Addressing the world’s environmental challenges
Let's get started
The next steps should give you a flavour of how this course works and what it will cover. You will meet the Course Leaders and be able to introduce yourself too.
Environmental Challenges and Realities
In the next steps we will discuss and reflect about the main environmental challenges we are facing as a society.
Understanding Upcycling
In the next steps we will discuss about the concept of upcycling and will clarify the differences between upcycling and recycling, the circular and the linear economy.
Week 2
Hands on Upcycling
Sustainable Fashion Design
The next steps should give you a flavour of how to make products related to sustainable fashion design. You will see examples of different products made out of trash.
Industrial Design
The next steps should give you a flavour of how to make industrial design related products. You will see examples of different products made out of trash.
Creating Ideas
The next steps should give you a flavour of the importance of creating ideas and sharing them with your team and key stakeholders.
Week 3
Turning Ideas into Action
Idea Validation
This section provides resources for getting a better understanding of idea validation and the relevance of connecting the problem with the business idea.
Marketing and Funding Sources
How to bring good branding and marketing and examine different pathways for getting funding for your upcycling business, and how these vary based on the business model.
Conclusions
These final steps provide a course review and resources for the Upcycling for Change course.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Reflect on what upcycling is and its relation to sustainable development
- Explore how to evaluate upcycling in the context of global and local environmental problems
- Assess different ways of creating products out of trash
- Identify different upcycling business models
- Reflect on the steps to start up an upcycling company
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone looking to start their own upcycling company or who are interested in entrepreneurship, eco-friendly businesses and sustainability.
Who will you learn with?
Expert in Sustainability and Social Enterprise. She is the co-founder of Minca Ventures Ltd, a certified coach and has experience providing consultancy services for social businesses across the globe.
Andres is the co-founder and COO of Minca Ventures Ltd. He is an expert in Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Follow me @AndresMoralesPM
Who developed the course?
Minca Ventures
Minca Ventures Ltd supports social innovation & social enterprises across the globe. The company offers consultancy, sustainable business modelling, training and educational courses, research, filmmaking, and storytelling communication strategies.
Hands of Honour
Hands of Honour is a charitable organisation based in Cape Town working to create employment opportunities for men in marginalised communities by upcycling corporate waste.
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $109/one-off payment | $39.99/month Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 10 May 2024 |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$39.99/month
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$109/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 10 May 2024
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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