Carmen Hijosa from Spain a veteran of the leather industry was sent to Spain to the Philippines as an expert to help them develop their leather industry with new ideas. After the research of 7 years in Philippines and working their with the local communities. Carmen began a journey that led her to creating a new fabric which can be used in a place of leather. She named this sustainable product “Pinatex” it is a product made of pineapple leave fibers.

The fibers that are used to make Pinatex are the by-product of the pineapple harvest, and therefore no additional water, land, fertilizers or any type of pesticides were used get them. This is very creative way to convert food waste into a new product. Because of this even farmers get a new way for their additional earnings. In addition, the by-product of the process of extracting the fibers from the leaves creates a biomass that can be turned into organic fertilizer or bio-gas, which creates yet another potential stream of revenue for the farmers.

Other designers have experimented with everything from mushrooms to red algae powder in the search for more sustainable materials.

Tags: Carmen HijosaLeatherLeather industryPhilippinesPinatexpineapplePineapple Leave FibreSpain