(Photo: Crane)
Every year, farmers in the Philippines grow millions of pineapples, which include pineapple leaves as well as the edible fruit. Carmen Hijosa, an industrial designer, visited the Philippines and found that many people there used the discarded fibers from pineapple leaves to make fabric sacks, among other products. But for the most part, pineapple leaves were a wasted byproduct of the harvest.
Hijosa was on a quest to find a sustainable alternative to leather. She found her answer in pineapple leaves. After 7 years of work, she invented Pinatex--a leather substitute made out of pineapple leaf fibers. Like other fabrics, it can be used for bags, furniture, and even shoes, such as these prototype Pumas.
You can read more at Crane (auto-start video).
-via Unconsumption