Pineapple-waste fiber gains traction in shoe market

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In the Philippines, Puma has created a prototype shoe using a textile produced from pineapple plant waste.

The nonwoven material, called Piñatex, is made from waste pineapple plant fiber and was developed by Carmen Hijosa. She hopes Piñatex will become a substitute for leather, without compromising its durability and aesthetics. “We are working toward developing a full biodegradable Piñatex, which we hope will be in the market in 2017. We do not use any harmful substances such as PVC or animal-based substances,” she tells the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Further development of the material has government support. The country’s Department of Agriculture has provided farmers with decortication machines that remove the fibers used in Piñatex production. The decortication byproduct can then be used by the farmers as organic fertilizer.

Puma says it is considering the product for a future shoe line. The textile has also been used in furnishings, cars, and aeronautics.