Researchers in Uganda are finding creative ways to turn waste from banana plants into useful products like textiles, hair extensions, and even sanitary pads.
This innovation could help the country benefit from the growing global interest in eco-friendly materials.
At the heart of this effort is the Banatex-EA project, based at Busitema University in eastern Uganda.
The team, led by textile engineering lecturer Edwin Kamalha, has figured out how to turn banana stems—usually discarded after harvest—into soft, spinnable fiber that can be used to make cloth and other items.
Traditionally, banana stems are left in the field to rot and act as fertilizer. Now, they could become a new source of income for farmers.
Kamalha says the idea is to reduce waste and create value from something that would otherwise be thrown away.
Bananas are one of Uganda’s most important crops, grown by nearly 75% of farmers, but much of the plant is wasted after the fruit is harvested. The stems, called pseudo-stems, carry nutrients to the banana fruit and are often ignored after harvest.
The challenge, according to Kamalha, was that banana fibers are naturally stiff and rough, making them hard to spin into thread.
His team worked on softening the fibers to make them more like cotton. With these improvements, they’ve been able to produce banana fiber suitable for textiles and hair products.
To help bring their ideas to market, the researchers have teamed up with TEXFAD, a local textile company, and are also working with Uganda’s National Bureau of Standards to set quality guidelines for banana fiber products.
The team found that one specific banana variety, known locally as Kayinja (or Musa), produces the strongest and most attractive fiber.
This type is often used to make traditional banana beer but also turns out to be ideal for making fabric and hair extensions.
However, the project still faces hurdles. Uganda has not yet passed a law allowing genetic engineering, which makes it difficult to create banana plants bred specifically for fiber, not food. This limits how far the technology can go for now.
There are also challenges with exporting these products. Since banana fiber is so new, it doesn’t have a standard international product code, making it harder to sell abroad. Consumer preferences are another issue. While some people are curious about banana fiber products, others still prefer traditional materials like human hair.
Even so, supporters like Kimani Muturi from TEXFAD believe banana fiber has huge potential. His company is training young people to work with the fiber and sees it as a key to growing Uganda’s textile industry.
Experts agree that building strong demand is the next step. If people start asking for banana fiber products, production is sure to follow.
