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bananatex.

Bananatex is a manufactured, natural polymer, cellulose fiber. The fiber Bananatex was developed in a collaboration by three parties: with the Swiss bag brand QWSTION, a Taiwanese yarn specialist and QWSTION’s weaving partner based in Taipei, Taiwan.

Bananatex is made from the banana plant and cultivated in the Philippines within a natural ecosystem of sustainable forestry. It is manufactured by extracting the fibers from the abaca plant, which are are turned into a paper-like surface after drying. Thin stripes are cut from this Bananapaper, which is then turned into yarn. After weaving the fabric, a beeswax coating is applied to it, in order to make it waterproof.

For the process of turning the abaca fibers into paper, a chemical component is used to catalyse the dissolution of the lignin contained in the leaves, whereby a 100% recovery of those chemicals is achieved. This means, Bananatex is technically a bio-fabricated material, but since the chemicals used are cradle-2-cradle conform, there is no harm caused to people or planet.

Furthermore, Bananatex does compensate more CO2 than they produce in the Bananatex-process.

Since Bananatex is produced by only one company, it is in any case, a fair and sustainably produced material. The fabric itself is certified cradle-to-cradle gold.

+ PROS

what it gives.

  • High tear strength
  • water repellant

− CONS

what it asks.

ADVICE

what to look for.

The Founders of Bananatex are very open and transparent with their information, so if any open questions remain, reach out and they will surely have an answer for you.

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

where this comes from.

https://qwstion.com/

interview with the founders

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