Piñatex is a leather-style fabric derived from pineapple leaves. It was invented by Spanish designer Carmen Hijosa.[1]
Piñatex is a sustainable alternative to leather. It is environmentally-friendly as it uses up leaf waste that would otherwise be left to rot. It is cruelty-free, as no animals are needed. Farmers growing pineapples gain additional income for their pineapples with this new industry.
When the material is finished with, it can be composted. The by-product of producing piñatex is biomass that can be converted into fertiliser.[1]
At the moment, piñatex is cheaper to produce than leather. It is already been used by various companies for the production of shoes, including Puma.[2] As a fabric, it is easy to stitch, work with, dye and print on.[1]It meets numerous ISO standards for quality and durability (see the technical sheet at http://web.archive.org/web/20171031185117/http://www.ananas-anam.com:80/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Download-the-Technical-Sheet.pdf).
Piñatex can be used to make shoes, bags, chairs, sofas, panelling, lining, upholstery, etc.[1]
