WTF is Pineapple Leather?
When we first heard about Pineapple Leather it quickly grabbed our attention.
I’m usually optimistic by nature but before testing it out I 100% doubted it.
My thought process was:
A leather made from a pineapple will probably fall apart.
No way could it be as strong as animal hide.
It will probably be spikey like a pineapple.
Nah let’s not try it.
But what if it could replace animal leather?
I was curious to see how well Piñatex works in a real-life setting, so in 2019 we ordered 20 metres of the material and started testing it by getting our friends, family and customers to use their test wallets or bags over a year to see how quickly it fell apart.
We thought the big brands like Nike, Hugo Boss & H&M who were using the Pineapple Leather from our supplier were banging on about how amazing it is were not telling the truth.
What is Piñatex Pineapple Leather made from?
Piñatex is a leather alternative made from the fibrous leaves of the pineapple plant, which are otherwise discarded during harvest. The high cellulose content and tensile strength mean that products made with Piñatex are as durable as animal leather.
Through repurposing agricultural waste into natural textiles, Ananas Anam creates social impact by introducing new jobs in rural areas, while providing a second and diversified income stream to the pineapple farmers.
For every 1 ton of pineapples harvested
there is 3 tons of pineapple leaf waste.
Is Animal Leather a Byproduct
that would be waste if not used?
Nope.
100% NO.
Very young animals with smooth skin—who have not yet been exposed to parasites or disease—make the best quality leather.
My heart breaks when I think of the times that I used to pay $400 for a soft calf leather handbag from Italy. I would proudly show it off, since I was blind to the fact that a newborn animal had been killed so that its skin could be used for this bag. The mother of this calf watched as her baby was taken away and slaughtered so I could carry its flesh around thinking I’m hot stuff.
To produce leather, animals are subjected to intense suffering.
They are in barbed wire traps or confined in cages where they cannot move and then commonly killed by skinning them alive.
The harmful chemicals used to process animal-derived textiles often pollute the water, soil and air as they are released into nearby rivers.
Fortunately, more and more conscious creators around the world have innovated leathers so that we can offer you plant based alternatives like Cactus Leather & Piñatex Pineapple Leather .