Pineapple shell used as a new textile material in Italy

Pineapple production is approx. 24.8 million tons where only 60% is used. 10,000,000 t of pineapple produced and abandoned on the ground with the consequent and continuous emission of harmful gases into the air. In Italy with an import of approx. 130 thousand tons in the year, it is the second most consumed exotic fruit, with generalized processing for IV and V range products.

Through an industrial process that reuses the organic shell of the pineapple fruit, a material with a scaly surface is obtained, visibly similar to the animal leather of a reptile, and after an industrial production process (patented), it acquires new characteristics, such as rot-proof, robust, flexible, prerogatives that are not present in an organic peel in nature, which allows the material to be drilled, sewn and colored in various shades like a traditional material.

The characteristic of Ananasse is its aesthetics: unlike what happens with "fabrics or skins of plant origin" on the market, whose manufacturing processes (crushing, kneading, extrusion, lamination, etc.) tend to imitate real fabrics or skins of animals, Ananasse keeps intact the initial visual appearance of a pineapple shell; It also represents a possible alternative of plant origin, respectful of the environment and its species (cruelty-free), as a by-product obtained from the processing remains of the pineapple fruit.

Vérabuccia is a new type of material and, therefore, unknown on the market, but it aims to consolidate itself over time by creating its own segment, along with the types already present, such as fabric and leather.