May 19, 2016

Sustainable 'Leather' Made From Pineapples

  

 Carmen Hijosa visited the Phillipines to consult with the leather industry. While there, she found two huge problems; the leather was of poor quality and the production process was bad for the environment and the people living there.  This led her to develop Pinatex; a plant based leather made from Pineapples.  She knew that there was an abundance of Pineapples in the Phillipines and that Pineapples were the only fruit durable enough to be made into a fruit based leather.

The Pineapple fibers are usually thrown out as waste, so turning this waste product into something usable is very sustainable and creates an extra source of income for farmers. Unlike your typical leather, animals would not be needed and all of the chemicals used to process the leather also wouldn't be needed.  Check out some products made from Pinatex below and visit the start-ups site HERE to learn more.