upcycle versus recycle

I keep bumping into the term upcycle and was confused how it differs from recycle. Here's what I understand after some "research". Upcycle is to take an item and reuse it in a new way. For example, taking a bike chain and making a wall clock from it. *An important note, this only works IF the bike chain was used as a bike chain and is now done as its bike chain existence. Purchasing a new chain and using it for a clock is neither re or up cycling. :) Recycle is when plastic, for example, is melted down to create new plastic or an entirely new item. Recycle requires a chemical process and upcycle is an artistic change versus a chemical or process change. Another upcycle example would be creating a scarf from recylced sweaters. (See picture above) Technically, upcylce could be a subcategory of recycle.

My take? As green becomes the new black, new terms are popping up. Being green is more widely available and desired by a more diverse audience than ever before. No matter what you call it or how you define it, the good news is whether upcycle or recycle it is more gentle on the planet and a good practice to adopt.