Bananatex® is the world’s first technical fabric made purely from Banana plants which are organically cultivated in the Philippine highlands.
Bananatex® is the world’s first technical fabric made from banana fibre
Swiss bag brand QWSTION, a yarn specialist from Taiwan, and a Taiwanese weaving partner spent four years developing a new material which is being revealed at the 2019 Milan Design Week. The strong, flexible material, called Bananatex®, could offer a new universal option in the search for sustainable materials.
GONE BANANAS
In 2015 designers at Swiss bag brand QWSTION first came across a plant of the Banana tree family known locally as ”Banana Hemp” or “Abacá”, and its potential as the next step in their sustainability mission was immediately apparent.
The inherent properties of the plant align with the brand’s commitment to environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Cultivated within a natural ecosystem of sustainable mixed agriculture and forestry, Abacá is sturdy and self-sufficient, requiring no pesticides or extra water.
These qualities have allowed it to contribute to reforestation in areas of the Philippines once eroded by palm plantations, whilst enhancing the economic prosperity of its farmers.
What’s more, given the brand’s ultimate aim of offering a viable alternative to the synthetic fabrics that currently dominate the bag industry, they developed Bananatex® as an open source project, and want to encourage other brands to use it.
Source: QWSTION
CHECK OUT THE BANANATEX® COLLECTION
The Bananatex® Collection introduces two brand new styles to QWSTION’s range: the Roll Pack and the Hip Pouch. Both designs are based upon the characteristics of the material, with patterns designed to leave zero waste after cutting the individual parts. At the end of the bags’ lifecycles, their fabric is 100 % biodegradable, and their buckles and zippers can be recycled.
Versatility is the essence of the new models: the Roll Pack, a medium-sized bag with adjustable volume for everyday wear, and the Hip Pouch, a small bag for holding essentials with hip and shoulder carry options.
Source: Qwstion
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