Uganda company is turning bananas into rugs, clothes and hair extensions, saving environment from 2.3 kg of carbon emissions

Who knew bananas could be turned into fabric? One Ugandan company is turning this beloved fruit into material for rugs, clothes, and hair extensions. According to a Business Insider report, TexFad has invented a technology that turns banana stems into fabric for clothes, rugs, and other products instead of burning them, which pollutes the air. A banana plant has a surprisingly short productive life, with each stem bearing fruit just once before eventually decaying or becoming vulnerable to disease. The process also leaves behind a significant amount of agricultural waste: plantations generate roughly two tonnes of discarded plant material for every tonne of bananas harvested. Yet what appeared to be useless piles of debris caught the attention of Kimani Muturi, who believed they could be turned into something valuable. Inspired by his passion for traditional handweaving, which he developed during his college years, Muturi went on to establish TexFad in 2013, transforming banana waste into an opportunity for innovation.

How Are Stems Turned To Fabric?

Workers cut stems into celery-shaped chunks and leave them to dry in the sun. Later, they are processed by an extractor. The extracted fibres are dried again till they feel like silky yarn and strong as rope. They are then dyed and sent to weaving shops, where they are turned into handicrafts. It can take up to a month to create a rug. The price varies but many products started with the price of $500.

These fabrics naturally break down over time, making them a potentially greener choice than many of the conventional textiles used today. Fibres extracted from banana plants can also take up dyes more efficiently than cotton, reducing the amount of water and agricultural land required during production. However, the technique still faces challenges because it depends on specialised machinery and skilled workers with the knowledge to process the material. Wider adoption could become possible if new and improved equipment is developed to produce banana fibres fine and delicate enough to meet the requirements of the clothing and fashion industry.


According to Ugreen Us, each banana fibre rug the company produces prevents 2.3 kg of carbon emissions which would otherwise be released if the banana stems were burned.