Turning pineapple leaf waste into bio-based fiber and sustainable textile

The fashion industry became a major contributor to environmental degradation and climate change. According to ADEME, textile industry is responsible for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, 20% of pollution water industry and 35% of micro plastics. The textile industry's heavy reliance on petrochemical materials (annual consumption of 300 million barrels of petroleum for the production of polyester) and the advent of fast fashion are exacerbating the climate crisis and environmental degradation. This environmental impact is felt disproportionately by communities in Africa, where the fashion industry is a major source of employment and income.

At the same time, the Republic of Benin, the 4th largest producer of pineapples on the African continent, has a production of 500,000 tons per year. This production generates more than 800,000 tons of pineapple leaf waste which is generally burned each year after the fruit harvest

Ecores agro industries implements a solution based on waste management and the circular economy. We are deploying a revolutionary and sustainable approach which consists of transforming agricultural waste (in this case pineapple leaves) from farmers in Benin into organic fibers for the textile industries and sustainable fabrics for designers. Pineapple leaf fiber is a plant fiber, durable, flexible, robust, breathable, biodegradable and has antibacterial and water retention properties. Its chemical, mechanical and physical qualities give it excellent reliability and a diversity of applications (fabrics, artificial leather, staff, joints, composite materials, etc.). Pineapple leaf fiber can replace polyester, a petrochemical material with a high carbon footprint. Pineapple leaf fiber fabric is a durable, robust and breathable material. It presents the technical specifications required for leather goods (manufacture of bags, hats, shoes, etc.), furnishing (manufacture of interior furniture), clothing manufacturing, etc.

The use of pineapple leaf fibers in the textile industries and the consumption of its derivatives will contribute to the reduction of the growing microplastic pollution of the oceans due to the strong dependence of the textile industry on petrochemical materials.

Our sustainable and revolutionary solution serves multiple stakeholders, including the global community, Beninese citizens and vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by climate change. Here is how our solution impacts their lives:

1. Global community: our solution directly responds to the global challenge of micro plastic pollution of the oceans and the climate challenge. The use of pineapple leaf fibers in the textile industries and the consumption of its derivatives will not only contribute to the reduction of the growing microplastic pollution of the oceans due to the strong dependence of the textile industry on petrochemical materials, but also to the reduction of thousands of tons of CO2 generated by the complete combustion of pineapple leaves (33.33 kg of burned leaves emit the equivalent of 6kg of CO2). This benefits people around the world by helping to preserve the planet for future generations and ensuring a more sustainable and livable environment.

2. Beninese Citizens: our solution creates significant positive impacts on the lives of citizens in several ways. Firstly, by using pineapple leaf waste that would otherwise be burned by farmers as raw material, we contribute to improving the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. In addition, the waste from our production serves as organic matter for producers and contributes to improving production yields. Finally, the implementation of our solution will also hinder jobs for young people and women.

We have a mixed team. They include a Representative of pineapple farmers, An industrialist, an environmentalist. It is a complementary team capable of ensuring the scaling of our revolutionary solution and meeting short-term and medium-term challenges.

Currently, we are at the pilot phase of our revolutionary and sustainable solution. We are in the installation period for starting pineapple leaf fiber production. This installation is being done thanks to financial support from the entrepreneurial scholarship program of the MasterCard foundation at the University of Abomey Calavi ($10,000).

We are applying to solve to benefit from the technical, commercial and financial support necessary to scaling up  our solution.

Ecores agro industries implements a solution based on waste management and the circular economy. We are deploying a revolutionary and sustainable approach which consists of transforming agricultural waste (in this case pineapple leaves) from farmers in Benin into organic fibers for the textile industries and sustainable fabrics for designers. Pineapple leaf fiber is a plant fiber, durable, flexible, robust, breathable, biodegradable and has antibacterial and water retention properties. Its chemical, mechanical and physical qualities give it excellent reliability and a diversity of applications (fabrics, artificial leather, staff, joints, composite materials, etc.). Pineapple leaf fiber can replace polyester, a petrochemical material with a high carbon footprint. Pineapple leaf fiber fabric is a durable, robust and breathable material. It presents the technical specifications required for leather goods (manufacture of bags, hats, shoes, etc.), furnishing (manufacture of interior furniture), clothing manufacturing, etc.

  The use of pineapple leaf fibers in the textile industries and the consumption of its derivatives will contribute to the reduction of the growing microplastic pollution of the oceans due to the strong dependence of the textile industry on petrochemical materials

The use of pineapple leaf fibers in the textile industries and the consumption of its derivatives will contribute to the reduction of the growing microplastic pollution of the oceans due to the strong dependence of the textile industry on petrochemical materials

Our sustainable and revolutionary solution serves multiple stakeholders, including the global community, Beninese citizens and vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by climate change. Here is how our solution impacts their lives:

1. Global community: our solution directly responds to the global challenge of micro plastic pollution of the oceans and the climate challenge. The use of pineapple leaf fibers in the textile industries and the consumption of its derivatives will not only contribute to the reduction of the growing microplastic pollution of the oceans due to the strong dependence of the textile industry on petrochemical materials, but also to the reduction of thousands of tons of CO2 generated by the complete combustion of pineapple leaves (33.33 kg of burned leaves emit the equivalent of 6kg of CO2). This benefits people around the world by helping to preserve the planet for future generations and ensuring a more sustainable and livable environment.

2. Beninese Citizens: our solution creates significant positive impacts on the lives of citizens in several ways. Firstly, by using pineapple leaf waste that would otherwise be burned by farmers as raw material, we contribute to improving the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. In addition, the waste from our production serves as organic matter for producers and contributes to improving production yields. Finally, the implementation of our solution will also hinder jobs for young people and women.

we develop a plant -based solution

full-time staff: 3 person

part-time staff, 6 person

 contractors or other workers: 2 person

We have a mixed team. They include a Representative of pineapple farmers, An industrialist, an environmentalist. It is a complementary team capable of ensuring the scaling of our revolutionary solution and meeting short-term and medium-term challenges.

We have a mixed team. They include a Representative of pineapple farmers, An industrialist, an environmentalist. It is a complementary team capable of ensuring the scaling of our revolutionary solution and meeting short-term and medium-term challenges.

Value propositions

- speed up the use of sustainable materials in textile industries and other

  -sustainable and eco-friendly fabric

Key activities

• - Collection of pineapples leaves
• Conversion of pineapples leaves  waste into bio-based fibers
• -spinning of pineapple leaves fibers
• Weaving of pineapple leaves fibers yarn Marketing and outreach

Customer segments

- Ecological textile industries

-Non-textile private users (plumbers, etc.)

- Fashion designers of home textile, upholstery & interior furnishing.

Customer Relationships

• -Newsletter
• -Emailing
• -hatbots
• -Help centers
• -Knowledge bases  

Channels

• -Gmail box
• Company page on facebook, LinkedIn and instagram
• -Shipping sale to order

Key resources

-Human resources

 -Material resources : Infrastructure, material and equipment

- Financial resources : Investment & Working Capital

-Technology - Business Partnership

Key Partenership

• -African Youth Climate Hub
•  The Mastercard Fondation at University of Abomey Calavi
• Networks of Pineapple Producers in Benin (RéPAB)
•  National Federation of Pineapple Producer Cooperatives of Benin (FENACOPAB)

Cost Structure

• -fixed cost (salary, rent) 
•  Variable cost (production cost, tax, marketing)

 Revenus streams

- sale of bio-sourced pineapple leaf fibers - sale of sustainable pineapple leaf fiber fabrics

We mainly finance our activities through equity, governmental and non-governmental aid or subsidies, and income from the sale of our products. We won a grant of approximately $9,700 from the Marstercard Foundation Entrepreneurial Program at the University of Abomey Calavi. This fund allowed us to acquire machines for the extraction of pineapple leaf fibers and the production of pineapple tissue. We are currently in the installation phase