No Time To Waste

In No Time To Waste, Isabeau Goddé explored the potential of an often neglected by-product of the textile industry: lint. She started with dust from the drying drums of a knitting manufacturer and dust that is released during the linen production process. The properties, movements and behaviours of the material were analysed. The research led to the creation of perishable lint yarns, lint sheets and lint blocks. With No Time To Waste, Isabeau not only wants to offer a solution to an existing problem, but also advocates a change in consumer behaviour. She actively engages in this dialogue through workshops she organises.

The jury on No Time To Waste:

“The open nature of this research paves the way for further developments.”

How did the idea for this project come about?

Isabeau Goddé: The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. We are working hard to make it more sustainable and I also want to do my bit. During my studies, I visited many producers, from spinning mills to weaving mills and knitting factories. Although they are all different, they appeared to share a remarkable similarity: the generation of lint. One image that keeps coming back is the piles of lint - actually collections of very short fibres - flying around everywhere. I’ve always been fascinated by it, because it seemed to have a life of its own and reminded me of tumbleweed. Knowing that up to 12% of the fibres are lost on the factory floor, I felt encouraged to explore the potential of these tiny particles.

How does it contribute to a better world?

Isabeau Goddé: No Time To Waste is not just a collection of samples that maps out the possibilities of lint and by so doing offers a possible solution to a “problem”. By treating waste as a valuable material, it is no longer considered as waste, but becomes a valuable commodity. This research therefore also advocates a change in consumer behaviour because it tries to raise awareness and change people’s view of waste by creating a new narrative around it. By sharing my working methods and insights during workshops, I hope that I can encourage people to question the “waste” around them and inspire them to explore for themselves and investigate its potential in a playful way.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

Isabeau Goddé: No Time To Waste is still in its infancy and I notice the need for more specific scientific knowledge and also interaction with creative people from other disciplines. I would like to take this research further together with the right people and look for ways to process lint into everyday products. The modular room divider prototype is already a first step in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go.