Pineapple fibre, piña

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaf fibres, sometimes abbreviated as PALF, are a by-product of pineapple cultivation for food. They have great potential for many applications, but have not been exploited commercially in the same way as bast fibres such as hemp, flax (linen) and jute. As a result, there is not much data available, so some assumptions have been made, based on similar materials, to give an indication of the mechanical properties and environmental impacts of this fibre.

While the fibre holds a lot of promise for fashion, textiles, composite reinforcement and automotive applications, pineapple farming is not particularly ethical or sustainable. Plant fibres are a renewable resource that are biodegradable and have many physical and mechanical qualities that make them a desirable alternative to synthetics. In addition, the leaves and other waste are often burnt or left at the production site, and only a small amount goes to composting or animal feed.

However, plantations are responsible for the destruction of rainforest and large quantities of chemical pesticides and fertilisers are required for the monoculture crop to be productive. Even so, their carbon footprint is relatively low compared to some other less productive foods, at around 0.02 kgCO2e/kg. Most of this is attributed to the use of pesticide and fertiliser.

The pineapple plant is native to Brazil and cultivation has gradually spread to other tropical parts of the world. Today, the largest producers are Thailand, Philippines, Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, Mexico and Indonesia.