lynnwood @ 2018.04.07 7:13 AM
Leather from pineapple leaves? You are a great source of clever ideas Donna! Lynn

IdeaSpies @ 2018.04.20 7:13 AM
Well done Donna! Your idea is Idea of the Week based on number of shares and you?re now in the running for the monthly prize.

gogorunner @ 2018.04.21 7:13 AM
Amazing! Never ever would have thought we can use recycled pineapple leaves to make material let alone leather! So clever and ingenious!

IdeaSpies @ 2018.04.21 7:13 AM
Yes- and and also amazing that the woman who developed this was over 60 when she completed a PhD and did this!

the-corporate-ninja @ 2018.04.22 7:13 AM
This is an exceptional idea, having a use for one of the most discarded plants on the planet. However, please don't call it "leather". So many products are advertised as "leather" but when you investigate, it's faux leather or a form of plastic.

lynnwood @ 2018.04.22 7:13 AM
Yes Ron- its real name is Pinatex It's created by felting pineapple leaf fibres together. You're also right about waste. The pineapple industry globally produces 40,000 tonnes of waste pineapple leaves each year, which are usually left to rot or are burned. Approximately 480 leaves (the waste from 16 pineapple plants) are needed to create 1 square metre of material. Because Pi?atex is produced from a waste product it requires no additional land, water, pesticides or fertilizers. It also avoids the use of toxic chemicals and heavy metals used in animal leather production and has none of the wastage of leather caused by the shape of the animal's skin. Lynn