I’m sure you’ve heard by now — cotton has a dirty side, but one thing it’s not, is unpopular. In fact, cotton makes up between a third and a half of fiber consumption in the global textile industry, which is a lot no matter how you slice it.

The World Counts notes, 29 million tons of cotton are produced per year, the same as 29 t-shirts for everyone on Earth. But if you think that’s huge, you should look at the environmental footprint of conventional cotton. Conventionally grown cotton uses three percent of the world’s arable land, 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals, and 25 percent of all insecticides. It also contributes to the destruction of tropical rainforest, which many people including Neil Young, are taking a stand against.

Organic cotton subtracts chemical pesticides and fertilizers from the production equation, which is bound to make it better for the environment, but it still uses up a lot of water. To give you an idea of just how much water we’re talking about here: cotton production accounts for 2.6 percent of the global water footprint. Even if organic cotton requires 20 percent less water as some estimate, that’s still a ton of water. This begs the question, does the textile industry need cotton at all?

A growing number of cotton alternatives that require less water are entering the textile market, which are made from byproducts of fruit. Two fruits in particular that could give cotton a run for its money in the battle for textile domination are bananas and pineapples.

Bananas

The Guardian writes:

Around a billion tonnes of banana plant stems are wasted each year, despite research indicating that it would only take 37kg of stems to produce a kilogram of fibre. In 2012, the Philippine Textile Research Institute concluded that banana plantations in the Philippines alone can generate over 300,000 tonnes of fibre. The fabric is claimed to be nearly carbon neutral and its soft texture has been likened to hemp and bamboo.

Eco-textile company Offset Warehouse sells fabrics made from bananas, explaining:

The banana fibres used to make it are primarily a waste product; they come from the leftover stalks of banana plants after they have been harvested for food. The stalk of a banana plant contains long fibrous strands that are perfect for processing into pliable fibres. The outer layers contain course fibres, great for weaving into baskets, whilst the inner finer layers are perfect for spinning into luxurious silks.

You can see pictures of the process on the company’s website.

As to the benefits of banana fabric, the company explains, “Banana is a fantastic, natural textile for both fashion and interiors. As well as being warm, thick, matte and durable, it is biodegradable and has high moisture absorption properties, which mean it is a great summer fabric.”

Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘Fruit of the Loom’, doesn’t it?

Pineapples

Ananas Anam is a company that has developed an innovative, natural and sustainable non-woven textile called Piñatex™, a fabric produced from the fibers of pineapple leaves which are a by-product of the pineapple harvest. The term “by-product” means “something that is produced during the production of something else.” In this case, Piñatex™ can be used as a leather alternative or textile in the fashion, accessory and upholstery markets.

Here’s how the Piñatex™ process works, as described by Ananas Anam:

The fibres (that come from pineapple leaves) are extracted from the leaves in a process called decortication, which is done on the plantation by the farming community. The by-product of decortication is bio-mass, which can be further converted into organic fertilizer or bio-gas. This can bring additional income to the pineapple farming communities. The fibres then undergo an industrial process to become a nonwoven textile, which is the base of our product Piñatex™.

The initial product development originated in the Philippines, though research and development is now being undertaken between the UK and Spain.

Because Piñatex™ is a by-product of the pineapple harvest, no extra water, fertilizers or pesticides are required to produce its pineapple fibers. So, if it succeeds in penetrating the global textile market it could potentially save vast quantities of natural resources.

We make and use a lot of stuff in this world, most certainly leaving behind obscene quantities of by-products. The more we’re able to put by-products to good use and create new usable products, the less need there will be to sap what little resources we have left on our planet. This model can work, too. Just ask Sanga Moses, the man who figured out a way to turn coffee husks and sugar cane into a renewable fuel.

Bananas and pineapples are not the first cotton alternative to hit markets, though. Like many people, I sleep on uber soft bamboo sheets, and for years now hemp has been touted by many as the new cotton. Then there are the folks in Sweden who are making garments made entirely from 100 percent recycled cotton.

The list of environmentally sustainable cotton alternatives is clearly growing. Adding fruit to the expanding list is an exciting development, in the sense that the more eco-friendly alternatives to resource-consumptive products, the merrier.

What are the chances that bananas and pineapples become the new fabric of our lives? I guess time will tell, but if we can write on paper made from poop, why not outfit ourselves in fruit as well? What do you think? Would you wear fruit? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo credit: Thinkstock.