Steel is real: How nostalgia shapes re-circulation

This paper demonstrates how nostalgia entices consumers to re-circulate objects rather than discard them. Through multimethod qualitative inquiry into the Danish vintage cycling community, this paper highlights how consumers’ nostalgic attachment to the biographies of old objects propels re-circulation. The analysis builds on three distinct modes of nostalgia: reluctant, progressive, and playful nostalgia. These modes of nostalgia entice re-circulation via curation, re-enactment, and restoration. By uncovering how nostalgia influences decisions to preserve and extend the life of objects, this paper advances existing theory by elucidating the connection between re-circulation and nostalgia.