piñatex.
Developed by Dr. Carmen Hijosa in the late 1990s, Piñatex is an alternative to leather and is categorized as a manufactured natural polymer cellulose material. It is made from cellulose fibers extracted from pineapple leaves, which are then processed into a felt and then treated with PLA (polylactic acid) and petroleum-based resin. The raw material is waste from pineapple farming intended for consumption, therefore no additional land is used, nor are fertilizers, pesticides or heavy metals in use that are common in animal leather based productions.
Piñatex is manufactured and distributed exclusively by Dr. Hijosa’s company “Ananas Anam”. The felt is produced in the Philippines, whereas the chemical treatment takes place in Italy and Spain.
Piñatex is presently not yet biodegradable but it is circular and can therefore be recycled. Ananas Anam is working on replacing the synthetic part in production to provide a compostable material as an alternative.
