A Climate-Friendly Alternative to Leather
Ananas Anam produces a sustainable leather alternative called Pinatex derived from pineapple waste and sourced from farmers in the Philippines. Pinatex aims to reduce the fashion industry’s reliance on leather and other unsustainable materials that are expected to contribute 2.7 billion tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere by 2030.
The production of Pinatex reduces CO2 emissions by 80 per cent in comparison to traditional leather production. Because it is derived from an agricultural waste product, it does not require additional land, water, fertilizer, or pesticides to produce.
Pinatex replaces traditional fashion industry production practices that, if unchecked, will compel 21 million laborers to work for less than minimum wage by 2030 and contribute to 1.6 million workplace injuries.1
Ananas Anam has received more than 1,000 bulk orders for Pinatex to be used in footwear and fashion, auto interiors, and home and commercial furnishings. Shoemaker Nike’s Happy Pineapple line of trainers, which features Pinatex, won a 2022 PETA Fashion Award. Ananas Anam company notes a special interest in Pinatex from brands seeking to eliminate the reputational and corporate risk of being associated with supply chains with high climate and negative workplace impacts.
ADB Ventures provided Ananas Anam SEED Program financing of USD 200,000 to improve its production processes and make Pinatex more cost competitive with traditional and other bio-based leathers. Ananas Anam aims to increase Pinatex’s share of the global bio-based leather market, which represents a USD 5.4 billion opportunity.
1 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). Pulse of the Fashion Industry, 2017.
