What are the end uses of banana fabric?

Banana is a quite versatile plant and is used in various sectors. The various areas of application of banana fibers are as follows:

• Apparel: Banana fabric is used in the apparel sector as the fabric is quite breathable and lightweight and is utilised for making shirts, lingerie’s, robes, nightwear such as gowns and evening wear. The fabric is used as a ceremonial costume in the Philippines and in Japan, it is used to make their traditional dress kimono and kamishimo. The banana fabric is often considered as alternative silk. Banana fabric is also used for making hats, gloves and scarves.

• Home Textiles: Fine cushion covers, rugs, table cloth, curtain and draperies are made using banana fiber.

• Industrial Textiles: Banana fibers extracted from the outer layer of the pseudo-stem are quite durable, have good tensile strength, resistant to saltwater and exhibit buoyancy properties which is why they are used to make marine ropes. The fibers are used in the paper industry for making filter paper, tissue paper, tea and coffee bags, paper packaging, sheets.

• Banana pseudo-stem also yields certain coarse fibers which are used to make doormats, wall weaves, ropes and cordage, wall drilling cables, fishnets and packaging.

• Banana fibers are also used in the oil refinery for their property to absorb spilled oil and thus acts as an absorbent.