![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2022\/10\/image-19.jpeg\")
Each item has been made with Element 2, a fabric created by Pyratex<\/a> that combines waste from the banana food industry \u2013 including leaves, trunks and branches \u2013 with organic cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The material forms part of Ganni<\/a>‘s Fabrics of the Future, an initiative that develops innovative materials for its clothing collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our goal is to diversify the natural fibers we wear to avoid synthetic fibers and the overexploitation of cotton or linen,” said Pyratex founder and chief executive officer Regina Polanco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We want to allow the innovative fibers we work with to become as commonplace in our wardrobes as cotton, linen, or even synthetic fabrics,” Polanco told Dezeen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rough and strong banana fibre is then dyed with reactive dyes before being softened with water vapour, which Polanco said has a smaller environmental impact than traditional chemical textile softening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company then knits this fabric together with 65 per cent organic cotton at its partner mill in Portugal. The resulting textile is designed to feel like soft cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Polanco, waste is traditionally burned when the banana tree is harvested, which releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of bananas in the country, cultivating around nine million metric tons (MT) annually,” Polanco said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “There is a long tradition in India of burning agricultural waste: when harvesting the banana tree, leaves and trunks are burned,” she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “This produces high CO2 levels released into the atmosphere; however, by using this waste as fiber, Pyratex avoids CO2 emissions and any negative impact on the environment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polanco hopes that the collection will encourage consumers to switch from buying synthetic materials to clothes made from biomaterials, which could significantly reduce fashion’s negative environmental impact on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The concept behind the collection is giving visibility to innovative products and making these available to consumers,” Polanco said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Making garments with responsible fabrics like ours is a big step towards a better fashion consumption, and Ganni has shown they’re not scared to innovate for a better planet,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other designers have also looked to plant-based materials to create more sustainable fashion products. New York-based designer Charlotte McCurdy used algae to make a water-resistant jacket<\/a> that captures CO2 from the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2022\/10\/image-20.jpeg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2022\/10\/image-21.jpeg\")