WE KNOW that the planet is in bad shape when even luxury brands are taking a stand. Oceans rise, empires fall; but people will always shell out a little more for something special. In 2018, Chanel announced that it would no longer use exotic skins, which would include crocodile, lizard, snake, stingray, and fur. As part of its efforts to make responsible fashion, Chanel unveiled a gold boater hat earlier this year, using a faux leather called Piñatex, derived from pineapple fibers — from the Philippines, no less.

BusinessWorld caught up with Ananas-Anam Philippines CEO Chuck Lazaro last week at the 2nd Philippine Garment Leather Industries and Textile Expo in Pasay City. Ananas-Anam Philippines exists as a subsidiary of Ananas-Anam in the UK, founded by Dr. Carmen Hijosa. Dr. Hijosa, from Spain, worked closely with the Design Center of the Philippines. “She’s been familiar with all the natural fibers we have: including abaca, banana, and even pineapple,” said Mr. Lazaro, who met her during this period; himself working with abaca textiles. “She said that leather production is one of the most polluting industries in the world.”

The production of leather takes a toll on the planet, the animals, and its makers. Huge amounts of land are used to raise livestock: leather is often a byproduct of the meat industry. Water and feed also contribute to that mess, taking away resources from other people. The animal is killed for its skin, raising ethical questions about killing something sentient and sensitive for one’s own gain. The load is then transferred to workers in the leather industry, who have to face dangerous chemicals and heavy metals like chromium. The massive toxic waste generated by all these steps, of course, will find a way to come back to haunt us.

Dr. Hijosa presented her pineapple fiber-based product at the PhD graduate exhibition at the Royal College of Art, London about six years ago, according to Mr. Lazaro’s account. The textile defeats all the points cited above: it uses pineapple leaves, a waste product from pineapple plantations (they only need the fruit). The leaves are processed by enzymes, not chemicals, to remove their sap. Mr. Lazaro noted that in the old days, such as in the production of piña fabric used for formalwear, the fibers were processed using caustic soda or peroxide. “Sakit sa mata (they made the eyes hurt),” he said. But not anymore. The fibers are then made into a sturdy mesh, with a coating that resembles leather in look and feel. It’s 90% biodegradable (the resin that goes into the coating makes up the nonbiodegradable component), and is completely cruelty-free.

That’s great, but as we’ve noted above, part of the problem of the leather industry is also how it treats its people: exposed to chemicals, they often fall ill with respiratory and skin ailments, not to mention the sheer toil in the factories. When asked if Piñatex is also ethically sourced, Mr. Lazaro said that they pay fair trade prices for the leaves — which are usually just burned otherwise. “In a way, it’s helped them a little bit,” he notes, referring to the pineapple farmers. The goal, however, is to place the Piñatex factories in the pineapple farms. “Let them own the business, with us managing them,” he said. The leaves are gathered from pineapple communities in Camarines Norte and Sur, Laguna, Cavite, and some parts of Mindanao.

As we’ve noted, Chanel has used Piñatex in its creations, and so have the brands Hugo Boss (releasing a line of shoes), Puma, and Adidas. What once started as a waste product from a somewhere in the Philippines has now hit the shelves of some of the world’s biggest brands and it’s strange that Piñatex, at present, has not yet made as big an impact in the Philippine garment industry.

Mr. Lazaro said, “It’s sayang (a waste) that it’s just them using it. It’s so scarce, and it’s expensive,” he admits. “We’ve got to lower the price, but to lower the price, I’ve got to find ways to make my process easier.” He said that their volume goal for this year was 3,000 meters a month.

As the planet changes for the worse, we are given the imperative to change for the better. Asked if he ever sees Piñatex replacing animal leather, he said, “No. I don’t see it. Maybe they’ll do something about the way they produce it (leather). I believe there’s a way. I believe there [will be] certain technology that will omit all these issues that leather is causing.” — Joseph L. Garcia