For the first time in Vietnam, a company is producing textile materials made from pineapple leaves on a large scale, with a production capacity of 18 tons of fiber per month.
In collaboration with farmers and cooperatives in Điện Biên, Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, and Tiền Giang, the startup Ecofa Vietnam transforms pineapple leaves into fibers for the textile industry. This achievement comes after more than three years of research and experimentation by the company.
The process of producing raw fibers and cottonizing pineapple leaves involves 18 stages, primarily focusing on extracting raw pineapple fibers (of similar color and length) from the leaves, and then carding these raw fibers into yarn (ensuring uniformity in color, moisture, length, and fineness). At this stage, the pineapple yarn is then used to spin threads and weave fabrics.
Founder and engineer Đậu Văn Nam stated that producing yarn from pineapple leaves is not a new concept, but previously it was limited to traditional, small-scale methods. Manual spinning techniques with long fibers could not produce sufficient quality yarn for textile factories. “We did not want to miss the chance to be the first,” he said.
Thus, in mid-2021, he began experimenting with machine-made pineapple yarn, which he designed himself. “The process of large-scale pineapple yarn production using machines has been refined over years of trial and error,” Nam acknowledged.
Pineapple fiber produced from leaves. (Image provided by the company).
During this process, the startup found a like-minded partner in Bảo Lân Textile, an entity specializing in R&D for eco-friendly fabrics. They have collaborated over the past three years to complete the entire processing chain of by-products from harvested pineapple leaves and fruits into fabrics suitable for clothing.
As of early this year, Ecofa has been able to supply 18 tons of pineapple cottonized fiber from over one million tons of harvested pineapple leaves each month. The company anticipates that production will increase to 50 tons per month by the end of 2025.
This raw material from Ecofa will be supplied to Bảo Lân Textile to weave fabrics for the textile, fashion, and interior industries, branded as Ananas. Depending on the intended use, pineapple leaf fiber can be customized and blended with other eco-friendly fibers such as organic cotton, bamboo biocell (a type of fiber produced using a closed-loop system), silk, and wool.
From this, they can create materials such as denim, jersey, terry cloth, woven fabrics, and knitted fabrics. “Pineapple fiber is a material that has existed, but we have developed it together as a new brand embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship,” said Dave Quách, founder of Bảo Lân Textile.
The Ho Chi Minh City Textile Research Institute (VTRSI-TTC) and the Nissenken Quality Evaluation Institute (Japan) have certified four features of the pineapple leaf fabric developed by these two startups, including: fabric durability, natural odor removal on fibers, natural antibacterial properties on fibers, and natural UV resistance on yarn up to 50+ UPF.
Final product fiber made from pineapple leaves. (Image provided by the company).
According to industry experts, pineapple fabric has been known since the 17th century, primarily in the Philippines. However, the entire process of making the fabric was complex and only used primitive tools, resulting in low production and high costs, making it rare and expensive to use. This material was forgotten as low-cost industrial fabrics became popular after the 19th century.
Nonetheless, the trend towards green consumption has spurred a wave of entrepreneurship, helping to “revive” pineapple leaf fabric for widespread application in contemporary life. Some countries, including the Philippines, Costa Rica, and Bangladesh, have also successfully researched and commercialized pineapple fiber in recent years.
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Mai, Deputy Secretary-General of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS), stated that the type of yarn and fabric introduced by these two startups marks a turning point in connecting pineapple agriculture with the global green fashion trend.
“In the context of both domestic and global textile industries lacking raw materials for green fashion, the success of these two companies in researching and mass-producing high-quality pineapple fibers for clothing fabrics positively impacts demand and the development of the industry, not just in Vietnam,” Ms. Mai said.
According to forecasts by market research firm The Business Research Company (UK), the global natural fiber market is expected to grow from $63.62 billion in 2021 to $77.12 billion by 2026. Founder Dave Quách mentioned that fabrics made from pineapple leaves have good export prospects. His company is negotiating with several foreign purchasing partners and is currently unable to disclose further details.
