Rug collection 'Lutetia' and 'Juno' are part of the 'Ignorance is Bliss' brand by Agne Kucerenkaite. Linen rugs are coloured using upcycled textile dyes that originate from botanical and metal waste and by-products. Commercial textile dyeing causes a significant amount of environmental and health problems due to the chemicals used in the process whereas natural dyeing is rarely employed on an industrial scale. Drinking water supply and agriculture industries are the main waste suppliers for the collection. Leftovers of mostly organically grown plants do not contain toxic additives as they are intended for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Even though those partners grow sustainably, they are facing difficulties with the residue. A part of this by-product can be sold to the livestock feed, but there are no clear regulations and understanding of additional potential use. Shells are spread in the fields, but with a continually growing business, they admit, that it will be neither logical nor economical. The conducted research with various waste streams shows that most can be repurposed in creative ways and become a part of circular models, such as making textile dyes. The 'Ignorance is Bliss' rug collection is made from linen; a deliberate choice as it is a durable, resistant, and hypoallergenic material. Flax is versatile, cost-effective, resilient, and its cultivation requires far less water and pesticides than cotton. At the moment, yarns are hand-dyed with 9 natural colours that have been developed from waste (such as hemp, mustard, evening primrose, and iron). For the rugs 'Lutetia' and 'Juno', a total amount of 19.77 kilograms of waste was used. 'Ignorance is Bliss' rugs are designed with great detail and hand-tufted by skilled, craft-minded manufacturers. www.ignorance-bliss.com, @makewastematter, @agne.kucerenkaite
