This video describes a way that the leaves of a pineapple plant can be used after the harvest.
Pineapple leaves can be turned into a fiber which is then turned into yarn or a leather substitute. Pineapple fiber has been woven into clothing since the 17th centaury. A labor-intensive process, machines can now automate most of the work of turning the raw leaves into fiber. This yarn is biodegradable and from a renewable resource.
About thirty years ago, Carmen Hijosa invented a product called Piñatex. A leather substitute, the fibers of pineapple leaves are combined with a cornstarch derivative called polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is from a renewable resource (corn) but degrades poorly outside of commercial composting facilities as it needs temperatures of 140 °F to break down effectively. The fiber/polylactic acid combination is then coated in a petroleum-based resin for strength and durability. So while 95% of the process uses biodegradable products, the final product of Piñatex is not biodegradable and has the same waste effect on the environment as plastics.
However, compared to chrome tanning of animal leather, a process that is used for 85% of all leather products, the effects of Piñatex may be less detrimental to the environment if properly disposed of and composted in a commercial facility. If done properly, vegetable tanned leather seems to be the best for the environment in our current society out of the three.
So while this is very admirable and gets rid of a waste product that is otherwise normally burned, like all things, it stills affects the environment negatively and you have to go by your personal morals of what environmental impact is most important to you when choosing what product to consume.
