KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — A young man’s creativity through upcycling has made good plastic wrappers for bread, instant noodles and snacks, which are usually thrown as trash, by using them to make products like handbags and umbrellas.

According to Wikipedia, upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value.

Ahmad Afiq Ahmad Kamal, 24, who is a Human Resources Executive at a company, uses adhesive tape and his sewing skills to produce the products which have become part of his style when going out for his leisure walk and outings.

He said he is not ashamed or feels embarrassed to style the products even though they are made from waste materials.

"Fashion is subjective and my fashion sense is more towards street style, rebel and unorthodox. I see upcycling as one of the ways to express my fashion style,” he told Bernama.

Ahmad Afiq said his interest in unique and distinctive fashion prompted him to also produce hand-sewn face masks from used pants fabric in December 2020.

From then on, he said, he began making various types and designs of bags through upcycling from old or unworn trousers, before experimenting with plastic wrappers and plastic files.

Although saving the earth is not his main mission when he started the hobby, Ahmad Afiq, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware, in the United States, hopes that his efforts can contribute towards a sustainable fashion culture, thus reducing the dumping of textile waste.

"This hobby of mine not only expresses creativity but indirectly gives a second life and adds value to an item instead of just ending up in a landfill,” he said.

However, Ahmad Afiq has no intention of selling his upcycling products which he shared on the Tik Tok platform using the @ovolokaw account although there are people interested in them.

Ahmad Afiq, who has attracted more than 12,000 followers on social media, also hopes that the content he creates will inspire and make the community aware of the benefits of upcycling. — Bernama