Ananas fibre launch
11/02/2025
Its newest product, Ananas, takes advantage of the pineapple farming waste, in a project that took four years to bring to market, Mr Quach told Sportstextiles. The processing of pineapple leaves begins in the fields, where they are cut from the plant, crushed to extract the fibre and then washed and dried.
At the Bao Lan plant in the north of Vietnam, the fibrous cellulose strands are then subjected to heat, no chemicals needed, and made into fibres suitable for spinning. “There are some 53,000 hectares of pineapple farms in Vietnam. If we were able to use all the leftover leaves, we could produce 1,000 tonnes per month,” said Mr Quach.
The Ananas fibres are blended with cotton in proportions that can go from 10 to 30%. The company is working on a 50% Ananas fibre blend. The resulting fibres have natural antibacterial and odour control properties (tested in Japan), as well as offer moisture absorption and UV protection.
A life cycle assessment is underway, said Mr Quach, and will compare Ananas fibre with linen and hemp, its closest fibres with regards to processing and hand feel. Mr Quach plans to scale production to bring costs down: “it is really only a matter of efficiency,” he said, adding that the company has the capacity to commercialise 40,000 tonnes per month right now.
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