Material guide: Piñatex®
Photo: Piñatex®
Photo: Piñatex®
Photo: Piñatex®
Photo: Piñatex®
What is Piñatex®?
The material started when Dr. Carmen Hijosa, a consultant in the leather goods export in the Philippines, was shocked by the environmental impact of the mass leather industry. She was eager to find a leather alternative that was not dependent on fossil fuels, as PVC and other plastic materials are. From a circular economy and cradle-to-cradle perspective, the choice landed on pineapple leaves. The leaves are a by-product of the pineapple industry so the material does not require any additional environmental resources to produce. The leaves are collected in bundles after the pineapple harvest where semi-automatic machines help to extract the fibres. The fibres are then washed and dried in the sun where the purification process leaves you with a fluff-like material. The material is mixed with a corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) and undergoes a mechanical process to create Piñafelt, a non-woven mesh. Pinafelt is then transported to Spain and Italy where undergoes its final process. The colouring process, resulting in different kinds of collections, uses only GOTS-certified pigments.
The company behind the material, Ananas Anam Ltd, is today a Certified B Corporation. This means high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials, are being met.
Today, Ananas Anam Ltd supplies several brands wanting to improve their social and environmental performance. Not at least vegan brands seeking good alternatives to leather. You can find Piñatex® on shoes and bags. Make sure you keep an extra eye out for this material. Because you won’t believe it is actually made of pineapple.
Brands that are using Piñatex®:
Photo: Piñatex®