Piñatex

Piñatex is an innovative natural textile made from pineapple leaf fibre. The leaves are the byproduct of existing agriculture, and their use creates an additional income stream for farming communities. Piñatex is a natural, sustainably-sourced, cruelty-free material.

The journey of Piñatex began while Carmen Hijosa, a leather goods expert, was consulting on the Philippines leather export industry in the 1990s. Shocked at the environmental impact of mass leather production and chemical tanning she realized this could not continue and knew that PVC alternatives were not the solution.

She was driven to research a sustainable alternative. Inspired by the abundance of natural resources, including the use of plant fibers in traditional weaving such as the delicate Barong Tagalog garments, Carmen sought to create a new, non-woven textile that could be commercially produced, provide positive social and economic impact and maintain a low environmental footprint throughout its life cycle.

The use of pineapple leaf fiber, an agricultural waste product, provides the opportunity to build a scalable commercial industry for developing farming communities, with minimal environmental impact. The raw material that forms the base of Piñatex is a by-product of the pineapple harvest. The long fibres are extracted through a process called decortication, which is done at the plantation by the farming community. Ananas Anam has developed the first automated decorticating machine to assist with this process, allowing farmers to utilize greater quantities of their waste leaves. Once the leaves have been stripped of fiber the leftover biomass can be used as a nutrient-rich natural fertilizer or a biofuel, so nothing is wasted. The fibres then get degummed and undergo an industrial process to become a non-woven mesh, which forms the base of Piñatex. The rolls of non-woven mesh are then transported to Spain for specialized finishing. This unique process is what gives Piñatex its leather-like appearance, creating a textile that is soft and flexible, yet very durable.

The finished textile is distributed to designers directly by Ananas Anam, who use it as a sustainable alternative to leather in footwear and fashion accessories, clothing, interior furnishing and automotive upholstery. Innovative developments require a supportive supply chain. Ananas Anam is proud to have worked with these partners through the early stages of the production of Piñatex.

From initial sampling to developing a viable supply chain, the Piñatex journey is inspired by the principles of a Circular Economy and Cradle to Cradle values.