Bananatex

Bananatex® is the world’s first durable, biodegradable and plastic-free fabric made purely from regeneratively grown Abacá banana plants. Developed by Swiss bag brand and material innovators QWSTION in collaboration with a yarn specialist and a weaving partner in Taiwan, Bananatex® is a fully circular solution with the lowest possible environmental footprint. The three parties joined forces with the aim of making a positive impact on the planet’s future, resulting in a next-gen material that adheres to the Cradle to Cradle principle. Cultivated in a permaculture environment in the Philippine mid- and highlands within a natural ecosystem of sustainable mixed agriculture and forestry, the plant is sturdy and self-sufficient, requiring no pesticides, fertilizer or extra water. These qualities have allowed it to contribute to reforestation in areas of former rainforest that were once cleared for logging, whilst enhancing biodiversity and the economic prosperity of local farmers. Bananatex® can be composted to close the natural product cycle loop, from plant to product and back into the soil (EN 13432 and ISO 14851).