At a dyeing factory in Imabari, Japan, most of the textiles being dyed were towels, as many towel manufacturers were located nearby. Towels are made by combining countless fiber pieces, and during the dyeing and drying process, a large amount of dust is generated. This factory produced as much as 240 liters of dust a day. The cost of disposing of it was high, and it also posed a fire hazard—making it a major nuisance.
Then one day, an employee suggested an idea: why not recycle the dust? The proposal was to turn the flammable dust into fire starters. As an experiment, they set fire to a clump of dust and found that it lit easily and made starting a campfire simple. The company then packaged the dust into transparent containers and released it as a camping fire starter. The product quickly became popular thanks to its vibrant colors and the unique patterns that varied with each piece.
Just like dust that once seemed useless turned into something valuable, a shift in perspective can reveal a whole new side of things we previously overlooked—whether it’s an object or a person.