Food and beverage company Dole Sunshine Company has partnered with Philippine social enterprise Musa Fabric to turn waste banana stalks into plant-based fashion fabrics.
Nearly 15 million bananas are grown annually in the Philippines for consumers around the world, but the stalks are being left behind, Dole said. While some of these stems are used to regenerate the soil they grow in, over 4.4 million banana stems are discarded each year. Together, Dole and Musa strive to turn fruit scraps from Dole’s banana plantation into “target fiber”.
Musa Fabric, founded in 2020 by fashion designer Joy Su, produces textiles made entirely from banana fibres. All of his artistic tribal fashion is woven by inmates of the Davao Northern Penitentiary. Weaving banana fibers for textiles is a centuries-old tradition that Su has revived as part of her desire to help incarcerated and marginalized communities provide income and skills.
Through the partnership, Dole and Musa provide sustainable income to more than 100 people, including marginalized communities in Bukidnon Heights and inmates at the Davao Penitentiary, and provide conscious consumers with sustainable fashion options including clothing, bags, hats. , shoes and other accessories. The first pieces from the Dole-Musa collection debuted at New York Fashion Week earlier this year.
“Our fashion products, designed using banana waste fibers, were well received at New York Fashion Week,” said Musa Fabric founder Joy Su. “Consumers around the world are becoming more aware of their capabilities and are starting to demand a planet-friendly style option. and people. The partnership with Dole Sunshine is important in bringing attention to the use of recycled banana fiber.”
The partnership includes working with the nonprofit Kasilak Development Foundation to identify and educate members of marginalized communities in the Bukidnon Highlands to educate them on the banana fiber extraction process. Musa will train all the beneficiaries identified by Bukidnon, after which the yarn recovered from the waste will be sent to the Davao Prison, where more than 100 imprisoned men and women weave the yarn into cloth.
The woven fabric will then be processed into fashionable clothing and accessories by the same Bukidnon beneficiaries, which Dole estimates will be worth over $50 million. The finished fashion products will be sold to conscious consumers in many countries around the world through Musa Fabric.
The partnership is part of Dole’s goal to prevent fruit loss by 2025, aiming to reduce food waste and contribute to the circular economy by using waste to produce sustainable materials. “In addition to aiming for zero fruit loss by 2025, Dole’s commitment includes a commitment to creating shared value for all of our stakeholders,” Christian Viegele, president of Dole Sunshine Fresh Produce Group, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Musa Fabric allows us to not only reduce, recycle and reuse banana waste, but also create a sustainable source of income and jobs for the local community, while enhancing the post-release employment opportunities for Davao Prison inmates, enabling these initiatives to be more meaningful and targeted. “.
Last year, Dole teamed up with Ananas Anam, London-based innovative vegan pineapple peel company Piñatex, to make the most of pineapple leaves from Dole’s farm in the Philippines. Doula’s Philippine Farm is one of the largest pineapple plantations in the world, and through this special partnership, Pineapple Anam collects harvested leaves from Doula’s pineapple plants, which are washed, dried, and processed into non-woven fabric to form the sustainable Piñatex bottom material.
Piñatex was developed by Spanish designer Carmen Hijosa in 2016 as a base for professional finishes such as pigments and coatings to create colorful, durable and water resistant vegan leather. Piñatex is now being used by fashion brands such as H&M, Hugo Boss, and Nike. Piñatex is now being used by fashion brands such as H&M, Hugo Boss, and Nike. В настоящее время Piñatex используется такими модными брендами, как H&M, Hugo Boss и Nike. Piñatex is currently used by fashion brands such as H&M, Hugo Boss and Nike. Piñatex 现在被H&M、Hugo Boss 和耐克等时尚品牌使用。 Piñatex 现在被H&M、Hugo Boss 和耐克等时尚品牌使用。 Piñatex теперь используется модными брендами, такими как H&M, Hugo Boss и Nike. Piñatex is now used by fashion brands such as H&M, Hugo Boss and Nike.
To learn more about sustainable vegan fashion, read: Two guys in Mexico just made vegan cactus skin. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have joined the movement for plastic-free vegan leather. Old Navy now makes plant-based sandals from sugarcane.
Post time: Aug-09-2022