Friday 13 September 2019
Going Bananas
When facing the dilemma of choosing between animal leather and its non bio-degradable substitutes, banana trees could be the answer.
Sublime believes that quality and sustainability should not be exclusive. Green Banana Paper is an ethically conscious, eco-friendly company recycling local banana trees into durable, vegan accessories.
“I set out to find a natural resource, already in abundance, which could be manufactured into high quality finished goods. The products needed to be lightweight, non-perishable, and sustainable. As it turns out, I found the answer in banana trees,’ says Matt Simpson, founder of Green Banana Paper.
Simpson explains that banana fibres are fused together to create a leather-like material that is then transformed into wallets, custom business cards, artist paper, and more.
Based on the remote island of Kosrae, Micronesia, Green Banana Paper not only contributes to the lives of local farmers, designers, and artisans, but maintains an environmentally friendly production cycle.
As of April 2018, the company has recycled 159,000kg of post-harvest banana trees. Rainwater is collected on-site and used for all watering needs, electricity is powered by solar-assisted grids, and any waste plant material is reused to fertilise the soil, giving back to the Earth.
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