Micronesian Brand Makes Sustainable Vegan Leather With Banana Tree Waste

An age-old method of converting banana tree waste into paper has been adapted to make cruelty-free and sustainable leather products by Green Banana Paper. Based in Kosrae, an island in Western Pacific Micronesia, the brand was founded by Matt Simpson. Simpson was an American volunteer high school teacher who arrived in Kosrae in 2007 and settled there to start this endeavor.

Banana trees yield fruit only once, so they need to be cut down for harvest and replaced with another one. Kosrae has about 200,000 banana trees, and the brand uses the fibres of the waste part of the tree to develop the material. Once cut down, the logs are peeled, shredded and dried. They are then soaked in water to create a soft pulp which is turned into paper. Once the paper dries, it can be modified as needed – into wallets, card holders, etc. These products are vegan-friendly and created using renewable materials.

Green Banana Paper’s factory is the first in the Pacific region to be eco-friendly and ethical. They employ local artisans and craftspeople and have helped create a number of jobs on the island. This endeavor has supported farmers and artisans and created a sustainable system of manufacturing handcrafted plant-based leather products.

Image Courtesy: Green Banana Paper