Think the Earth

Banana, a fruit that grows in the tropical and subtropical regions, belongs to the herbaceous species, the same species as bamboos. Its stem, which looks like a tree, is called a pseudo-stem literally meaning a "fake stem". Annually, 1 billion tons of banana stems are disposed of after harvest. So the students of Tama Art University have began a research called the "Banana Textile Project" since last year, which hopes to discover ways in which these stems may be recycled.

This 3-year program supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is conducted under the theme "global environmental issues and their relation to design education". This year, the second year of the program, students have learned many tasks first hand from extracting textile from the stems, patiently spinning thread, weaving cloth, to making clothes, mats, and shawls.

Their work was exhibited at the "Banana Textiles for the Earth" Exhibition held in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo, in late January. Many people who have interest in environmental problems and textiles, including ambassadors from Uganda and Haiti who are intrigued by the project, visited the exhibition.

Currently, developing countries produce 80% of the world's bananas. This project delivers a message to those countries about the potential the disposed stems have to be reborn as a new resource.