Ugandans have always eaten a lot of bananas. Now a local start-up reckons it can extract even more value from overlooked parts of the crop. TexFad is using natural banana fibre to produce environmentally friendly items such as carpets and biodegradable hair extensions. “The hair extensions we are making are highly biodegradable,” he said. “After using, our ladies will go and bury them in the soil and they will become manure for their vegetables.” TexFad is also testing a process to make banana fibres as soft as cotton so they can be used to produce clothes. The company expects to export carpets for the first time in June, to customers in the United States, Britain and Canada. Owners reckon the light, organic material could replace some synthetic fibres and be used to make paper products like bank notes among a range of possible applications.
SOURCE: REUTERS
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