Bangladesh turns banana waste into eco-friendly fibre fashion
Discarded banana stems in Bangladesh are being transformed into eco-friendly fibre for textiles, handicrafts and biodegradable packaging, while creating new sources of income for rural communities.
Footage from Gazipur shows workers processing banana stems and weaving the extracted fibre into products including baskets and home decor.
Entrepreneur Hafizul Islam said he began making banana fibre products in 2016 after seeing the process used in India.
"If India can make products with banana fibre, then why can't we unemployed people in Bangladesh, or why can't I?" he said. The growing industry is providing income for farmers who sell stems previously discarded after harvest, as well as workers who process and weave the fibre.
Weaver Fazila Khatun said her earnings had helped pay for her son's education, while worker Arzina Begum said the industry had created opportunities for people overlooked by the garment sector.
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Banana fibre is now being used to produce items ranging from saris and footwear to home decor and biodegradable packaging.
Bananas account for around 20 per cent of Bangladesh's fruit crops, generating an estimated 3.78 million tonnes of banana pseudo-stem biomass annually, according to reports.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
