Incorporating Ecuador’s national waste stream into the supply chain for sustainable textile production
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On the 20th of April 2020, the price of oil plunged for the first time in decades to less than zero. This unprecedented fall and the growing demand for renewable energy has made evident the unreliable value of mineral raw resources. Ecuador’s economy depends heavily on the exportation of its natural capital, mainly petroleum (11.19 billion USD in 2010) putting it at risk of collapse. An immediate transition towards a bio-economy and its diversification of markets is needed.
Bananas are the second most exported product, generating more than 230 million tons of ‘waste’ per year. By re-evaluating these by-products, this project has identified the opportunity to incorporates them into the supply chain of the textile industry to promote its growth and help sustain the country’s economy by prompting its manufacturing sector.
Not a Banana Republic also tries to impact the polluting fashion industry by presenting an alternative to virgin cotton. Textiles made from banana fibers are 100% biodegradable and since they are a by-product it requires none arable land to be produced. It uses substantially less pesticides than conventional cotton, which recent studies have shown to be problematic in aquatic ecosystems as microfibers released from washing carry them into oceans. Moreover, this project seeks to utilize already available resources that are not taken advantage of as a mean to deal with our over-extractive business models.
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