Everyone knows the term recycling by now. The new word upcycling has emerged from this and is closely related to the meaning of the word recycling. It is made up of the English words “up”, which means “hoch / nach oben” in German, and “recycling”, which means “re-utilization” in German.
In recycling, the raw materials of a product are reprocessed so that they can then be used again. With upcycling, an existing product is taken up and revalued. In most cases, the original purpose is changed and the object is remodeled for it. In this way, supposed waste products or objects that apparently no longer have any meaning and no longer fulfill their purpose are given a new type of use. In this way, waste and the waste of new raw materials are avoided and an existing object is upgraded through its redesign.
The parquet of the BROSE ARENA in Bamberg
Bamberg basketball has been part of the Bundesliga for 50 years now. The arena parquet was laid in 2001, 18 years ago. So it has witnessed numerous championships, including the cup win in 2019, and many of today’s NBA stars became who they are today on that floor. So it can rightly be said that this parquet is a piece of contemporary basketball history. Now fans have the unique opportunity to bring part of this parquet into their homes. In 2019 the flooring of the hall was renewed, but the old parquet was not thrown away for nostalgic reasons.
The upcycling project #MYPARTOFHISTORY
In cooperation with the media reactor agency in Bamberg, the sale of the parquet in refined form was brought to life. The idea behind it was to redesign the former floor, steeped in history, and to convert it into fine pieces of furniture and everyday objects, thus making it attractive to buy. The proceeds from this campaign will be donated in full to Brose Bamberg eV So it is hardly surprising that the project is very well received. The limit of € 10,000 was reached in just six hours. This limit of funding was necessary for the project to come about.
The campaign differentiates between three product categories within the parquet floor of the arena. The “big parts of history” are limited to a number of ten pieces and represent the exact places on the floor where not only basketball history was written, but which, above all, represent unforgettable moments for the club. This category is the only one of the three categories not available through Kickstarter.
The parts of the “parts of history” category are already available through Kickstarter, a platform for crowdfunding. Here you can buy a piece of the parquet that shows either part of a line or part of the playing field color, or that is completely pure parquet. Included in this deal is a meet and greet with a player. The pieces of the “parts of history” are limited to 15 parts.
The last category are the pieces of the “upcycling history”, in which large parts of the former parquet are converted into furniture and home accessories. For example, various tables are built for the living room, study and dining room, but also wall clocks, bottle openers and game boards. Patricia Schmitt from Einrichtungsradar.de, the advice page for furniture and interior design, thinks the project is very successful. According to her own statement, she is a strong advocate of upcycling projects, as these are not only resource-saving and environmentally friendly, but above all
