Pineapple Leather - The Environmentally Friendly Textile

Did you know that there is a leather which not only doesn't harm animals or the environment, but is also still great quality? Oh, and not to mention that is made from a fruit!

Pineapple leather, or Piñatex, is a revolutionary material which uses a byproduct of agriculture, pineapple leaves, to create a textile which is strong and flexible, degrades naturally, and can be made into shoes, handbags, car seats, or anything else that is typically made from real leather.

It's not only a better alternative to real leather, which can cause problems if they end up in waste water due to the chemicals used in it's manufacture, it's also a much better option than plastic, petroleum-based fake leather which also has it's own processing issues. It also works as an extra source of income for farmers, as the leaves would usually be waste!

So how is it made?
After farmers take the first step in processing the leaves, and separating the long fibres, they also end up with biomass that can be used that can be used as fertiliser back in the pineapple fields. Local factories make the material into rolls, that will then be used to make the pineapple-leather goods.

Why would people want pineapple leather?
Over the past few years we've seen a rise in consciousness about the environment, and meat consumption, leading to many people adapting to a vegetarian, or vegan lifestyle. Many people are looking more into quality rather than quantity, and are happy to pay a bit extra for something that is not only great quality, but also environment-friendly. Consumers are also more aware of where items are made, so producers have to be more open about their manufacturing processes.

Companies like Puma and Camper have already made prototypes with the pineapple leather, so you may own a pineapple leather item sooner than you think!

Would you buy a product made from pineapple leather? Let us know @office_fruit