Some drip tape baskets woven out of upcycled irrigation line.

Upcycled Hand-woven Drip-Tape Basket

Upcycling: A cousin to the more common term, “recycling”, upcycling is concerned with reducing waste and reusing materials. However, upcycling also asks us to consider how we might increase the value of a waste product. For example, using a plastic water bottle as a building material or insulation for a home increases the original value of the water bottle. In the context of these hand-woven baskets, I used drip-tape, which would otherwise go to a landfill.

Drip tape, also known as t-tape, is a common material used by farmers for irrigating crops. However, the drip tape is only usable to farmers for a few seasons before small holes and build up in the lines make it less efficient for irrigation. At this point, although the drip tape is no longer usable to farmers, it remains a durable plastic, which serves as an excellent material for basket making!