Fruity fashion: Kenyan pineapple waste that used to be burnt made into shoes and bags

Pineapples: beloved by chefs–and cocktail makers–all over the world for bringing a reliable tropical sweetness. Now, an innovative firm in Kenya is gaining fans by turning waste from the fruit’s harvest into footwear. It comes as the fashion industry looks to embrace more eco-friendly materials. Not just a prickly fruit–now also the raw ingredient for a sustainable textile that's being revived by a design house in Kenya. Pineapple farmers are able to generate a second income from leaves that were previously discarded and damaging to the environment. "In the past, we would burn or throw away or replant pineapple suckers. Later on, we met with this company called Pine Kazi. We sell one sucker to them at 15 Kenya shillings each (US $0.092)," says James Kinuthia, a long-time pineapple farmer in fertile Kiambu county. The potential of the discarded leaves–a major part of the pineapple plant which is currently virtually unexploited–is now gaining global attention. Pine Kazi, which converts pineapple leaf and recycles rubber into fashionable footwear, has already attracted the attention of investors and won plaudits for its sustainable credentials. Pineapple fiber, which has a long history of use, is labor-intensive to produce and has until recently lost out in the era of cheap cotton and synthetics. Co-founders Olivia Awuor, Mike Langat and Angela Nzomo say the idea was borne out of a university project. As 24-year-old students, they noticed huge piles of pineapple waste burning carelessly and turned their collective attention toward a solution. "Pine Kazi is a new and innovative social business venture that recycles waste pineapple leaves into a biodegradable textile that is friendly to the environment," explains Awuor, Pine Kazi CEO and co-founder. As a social business venture, Pine Kazi also sources labor from local communities–hence creating employment. “We use these textiles to make eco-friendly fashion products like shoes and bags while creating meaningful and sustainable employment to vulnerable groups in the community," Awuor says. This article was provided by The Associated Press.