Did you know that worldwide 113,212,452 tonnes of bananas are produced per year? Due to this big industry, banana waste is a real problem. India is the largest banana producer in the world, and Uganda is the largest producer of bananas and plantains in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Uganda produces about 10 million metric tons of bananas annually, and over 75% of its population depends on bananas as a staple food.
Bananas are good; Banana Waste is Bad
While bananas are a good source of essential nutrients, including potassium, vitamin B6, and dietary fibre, the production of bananas can be pretty wasteful. Every harvest season, banana stems and processing waste are discarded into landfill. After harvest, almost 60% of banana biomass is left as waste – waste that contains a high content of industrial importance, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and natural fibres, which could be used to create new products. This creates environmental issues for banana farmers, collection centres and trading sites.
Instead of seeing banana waste as a problem, Ugandan smallholder banana farmers are partnering with the local non-formal engineering sector to transform banana stems into fibres that can be used for sustainable textile and handicrafts products. This is not a new process, as traditionally, the banana fibres had been extracted manually, which involved scraping the banana sheath until the fibres were unearthed. This process is quite labour-intensive. So the farmers and the engineers are looking at ways to develop an extractor machine to facilitate easier banana fibre processing.
One organization that has been working with Ugandan banana farmers is TEXFAD which deals in the production of handwoven textiles in Uganda. They are known for transforming banana waste stems and other waste materials into high-quality, sustainable textile products and providing skill training programs to youth and women.
TEXFAD has developed technologies for banana fibre extraction and application in producing high-quality fibre textiles and handicrafts from banana waste. Some of their products include banana fibre rugs, lampshades, blended fabric (blended with cotton), hand-spun yarn, and more.
There is also the opportunity to turn banana fibre into vegan leather, creating products like shoes, belts and wallets. Bi-products of banana fibre production are carbonized and turned into charcoal briquettes which are smoke-free and offer four to six hours of clean energy.
The banana farmers are seeing the economic benefits of repurposing banana stems as their incomes have increased from their banana waste upcycling and their ability to produce over 30 000 square feet of rugs each year. TEXDAD has trained over 400 youth and retained 27 youth who work with the company. Their skill training programs have expanded all over Africa in countries like Mauritius, Nigeria and Kenya.
Utilizing banana stems and creating materials that could be used for clothing or household goods is an extremely important way that Uganda protects the environment and contributes to the circular economy. Almost everything we throw away, especially organic waste, can have a second purpose and should be given a second life. Ugandan farmers are trying to upscale the production of eco-friendly products by mechanizing the production processes. They can produce more sustainably, contribute to their economy and reduce waste.
