Why bananas? The story behind the development of "BANANA-CLOTH®"

As the world population increases, the production of traditional natural fibers such as cotton and wool is on the decline, and so the developers of "BANANA-CLOTH®" were searching for a new natural fiber. They focused on "banana stalks" that are discarded from banana fields.
Cutting of stems
Peeling (removing the outer skin)

Banana stalks, about 3 to 4 meters long, are cut down. The Philippines has two harvest seasons a year, but the quality varies depending on the weather, and the outer skin can hardly be used. There are also difficulties because it is a by-product of edible bananas. Bananas are grown in subtropical regions, including the Philippines. After the banana fruit is harvested, the stems are cut down and discarded, leaving only the new shoots. The edible part of bananas is about 150 million tons per year, while the stems discarded worldwide are about 1 billion tons per year (※1). This is an overwhelming amount compared to other fruits such as pineapples. Moreover, most of the banana stalks that are cut down are burned or left out in the open. Burning increases carbon dioxide emissions, and if left unattended, they rot, causing contaminated water to seep into the groundwater and making it impossible to use water for daily use, adversely affecting the lives of people living in the surrounding area.

Turning waste materials into new resources
Therefore, we started to purchase banana stalks from banana plantations in the Philippines and developed a new fabric. This will improve soil pollution caused by rotting stalks and provide a new source of income for banana farmers, which will also lead to protecting the living environment and revitalizing the local area. In addition, unlike cotton, cotton is grown to promote the growth of the plant in order to obtain fiber, so there is no need to irrigate the fields or use pesticides, making it a raw material that reduces the burden on the environment.

"Banana x Cotton" creates a new natural fiber

Drying the extracted fibers

From banana stalks discarded in banana fields, 500 to 750 grams of fiber can be extracted from each stalk (approximately 25 kg). With approximately 1 billion tons of waste, it is possible to extract nearly 20 million tons. This is comparable to the amount of cotton, a representative natural fiber. The fibers extracted from banana stalks are short, so they are blended with extra-long staple cotton to make fabric. In consideration of the environment, we wanted to create a material that would return to the soil after disposal, so we used natural fibers to combine them. Among them, we decided on a blend ratio of "30% banana and 70% extra-long staple cotton," which was the best in terms of thread strength, quality, and production efficiency. After much effort, "Banana Cloth" was born, and it is a thread and fabric that feels smooth and linen-like.

How "BANANA-CLOTH®" is made

The future of "BANANA-CLOTH®"

Banana cloth is a fabric made from recycled banana stalks. This fabric is still rare, and we hope to expand it to items other than clothing, such as furniture and curtains. First, we have two items that you can try on casually by touching them directly on your skin. We hope you will pick them up and that they will serve as an opportunity to think more about the SDGs.

The social significance of "BANANA-CLOTH®"

- No additional water, pesticides or energy is used as the plant utilizes the waste stalks that are generated during banana harvesting.

- There are concerns about environmental issues associated with banana waste, such as groundwater contamination, foul odors caused by decay, and carbon dioxide emissions when burned, but utilizing this waste helps reduce the negative impact on the global environment.

・It will become a new source of income for local people and contribute to improving their living environment.