Convivial circularities for degrowth: The case of upcycling.

This article critically examines the potentials and limits of circular fashion practices, specifically institutional upcycling, for enabling a degrowth transition—a planned reduction of production and consumption aimed at human and environmental well-being. Drawing on qualitative interviews with diverse institutional actors in Turkey’s textile industry and secondary data, the study highlights how upcycling practices foster socio-ecological valuation of waste through “convivial circularities,” which encompass knowledge and skill assemblages as well as human and more-than-human relationalities. The findings challenge traditional views of conviviality as opposed to technology by emphasizing cooperative, technology-enabled networks that enhance access to waste and promote caring relations among humans, materials, and nature. Ultimately, the study argues for expanding degrowth frameworks to include neo-material and non-anthropocentric perspectives that integrate cultural heritage, local communities, and ecological consciousness in circular fashion, while acknowledging tensions with growth-driven industry practices.