TEXTILES.ORG
NEXTEVO™, a material science startup based in Singapore, opened a pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) production facility in Dong Nai, Vietnam, where the fiber is turned into ready-to-spin yarns and fabrics.
The PALF used is sourced from the Philippines, Indonesia, East Africa, and soon, Vietnam and India. Pineapple leaves are compostable and biodegradable, and because they are byproducts of the fruit’s cultivation, they do not require additional land, water or other resources. Interest in PALF has increased because it offers a low-cost sustainable alternative to other materials such as traditional leather.
PALF has a wide range of applications. The study “Extraction, Characterization and Properties Evaluation of Pineapple Leaf Fibers from Azores Pineapple,” published in February in Heliyon, found that PALF “can be used alone or blended in the form of yarns or non-woven fabrics for the production of apparel, handbags, accessories and footwear, soil covering, thermal and sound absorbers and fabric-reinforced composites.”
In August NEXTEVO’s PALF received an OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certificate, a certification awarded to textiles successfully tested to be free of harmful substances.