Fabric From a Fruit: The Banana Fabric

Natural fabrics are timeless and have a negligible impact on the environment. With growing environmental concerns, and ensuing efforts to reduce carbon footprints, perhaps the most important question we need to ask while buying clothes is what are our clothes made of?

Cotton, silk, hemp, and more, with a plethora of options available for natural fibers what is the next big thing? It is the fabric from a fruit, Banana fabric, that is good for people and the planet.

Banana Fabric: The Next Green Fabric of the Future

Banana fabric is made from the fibrous outer and inner peels of bananas. Stems of banana plants and peels yield fibers that can be transformed into textile products. Banana fiber is also a major substitute for the pulp industry. As several fashion houses and renowned fashion designers are embracing banana fabrics they are gaining popularity. 

The banana fabric has a natural sheen that replicates real silk and is a great choice for an eco-friendly textile. The fiber inside the stem can be used to produce different types of fabrics. The inner fibers of the stem are very fine and smooth and are used to produce the smoothest textiles. The outer coarse strands can be used for basket weaving and making handbags. 

Unique Features of Banana Fabric

• Banana fibers have a high moisture absorption
• Banana fabrics are eco-friendly
• They are biodegradable
• Banana fabrics are soft, supple, and breathable.

Banana fabric is one of the few materials in the textile industry that can be utilized for fire-resistant garments and is hence, regarded as a durable fabric. Banana fabric retains shape even after being washed and doesn’t need to be ironed. Fabrics made from banana fibers are being regarded as the next green apparel of the future.

Types of Fabrics

High-grade outer-peel banana fiber is referred to as banana cotton.

Inner-peel banana fibers are referred to as Banana silk 

Among natural fibers, banana fabric occupies a special place in terms of sustainability. Otherwise considered a waste product, the discarded banana peels are turned into banana fabrics that are eventually used in fabrics.

Due to a lack of technical expertise, the use of banana fibers was limited to creating doormats, wall weaves, and ropes. With effective processes in place and growing awareness about natural fabrics, banana fibers are also being used to create fabulous fabrics. This lustrous banana fabric has a lot of market value. 

ReshaMandi Revolutionizes the Natural Fibers Supply Chain

ReshaMandi has effectively digitized the natural fiber supply chain. It has connected all the stakeholders of the natural fibers ecosystem-farmers, reelers, weavers, and retailers immensely benefited them. With apt technology in place, it has championed sericulturists and changed the way seri farming is practiced in India. Apart from silk, With an enduring passion for bringing natural fabrics to the forefront, ReshaMandi has added several natural fibers to its profile. It is working with farmers at grass root levels to amplify the production of several natural fibers and is also helping the common man to access high-quality natural fabrics with ease. As the latest textile trends are influenced by sustainable natural fabric choices, banana fabrics will attain a higher place in the natural fabric pantheon with ReshaMandi’s intervention.