Featured new material: Piñatex
As seen on TV! Earthshot Prize winner Ananas Anam produce Piñatex, a sustainable alternative to leather made from the fibres of pineapple leaves, a by-product of the pineapple harvest. By repurposing agricultural waste, it reduces landfill waste and provides additional income for farming communities.
After pineapple harvest, the leaves are collected and the long fibres are extracted using semi-automatic machines. The fibres are washed then dried naturally by the sun, or in drying ovens during the rainy season. The dry fibres go through a purification process which results in a fluff-like material. This is mixed with a corn based polylactic acid (PLA) and undergoes a mechanical process to create Piñafelt, a non-woven mesh which forms the base of all Piñatex.
The samples of Piñatex are currently on display in the Materials Library.
