EP.24. The First Biodegradable Waterproof Fabric Made From Banana Plants. With Bananatex® x Qwstion

May 10

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Mentioned Links: Bananatex®

The Guest:

Please welcome Hannes Schoenegger, the Co-Founder and the CEO of swiss bag brand QWSTION and its spin-off company Bananatex®- the world’s first biodegradable waterproof fabric made from banana plants. Made purely from the naturally grown banana plants, Bananatex® is a durable, technical fabric that is biodegradable and fully circular. Cultivated within a natural ecosystem of sustainable forestry the plants require no pesticides, fertilizer or extra water. Bananatex® is developed and shared by Swiss bag brands and material innovators QWSTION with the aim to cause positive change.

QWSTION makes bags from plants since 2008, combining functionality and timeless design with the smallest ecological and biggest social footprint possible. The efforts have been honoured with several international awards for outstanding material development and sustainability solutions. Bananatex® is aCradle to Cradle Gold Certified® material.

In this episode, Hannes Schoenegger discusses the process of making the worlds first biodegradable waterproof fabric made from banana plants and shares his insight on what the future of fashion could look like.

Watch The Interview:

(includes hands-on demonstration of fabric degredation capabilities)

The Episode at a Glance:

THE FUTURE OF FASHION & INNOVATION

Do we need heavier regulation? Is innovation going to fix the problem of fashion? What about the role consumers play? Get inspired as Hannes shares his vision of what fashion could look like.

BIODEGRADABILITY & CIRCULARITY

How does the average joe biodegrade a Bananatex garment from Europe to North America? Hannes showed examples of the fabric biodegrading in their office plants' soil.

HOW IS IT MADE?

Is it made from the banana leaf? Do you cut the whole plant? How does harvesting this plant affect local ecosystems? Hear Hannes answer these and many other questions about the innovative fibre.