Eco-friendly banana waste transformation project launched

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other partners, has launched an innovative project aimed at transforming banana waste into eco-friendly textile fibre.

The initiative, which aims to promote bio-economy and circular growth in Pakistan as part of the Ministry of Industries and Production’s endeavours to achieve national economic objectives, was formally introduced during a workshop on “Bananas in Pakistan’s Bio-economy: Transforming Waste into Textile” held on the sidelines of the “Made in Pakistan – SME Cluster Showcase Expo 2026”. Smeda officials say the project is part of the Elimination of Hazardous Chemicals from Supply Chains Integrated Programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed by UN agencies, with implementation partners from across eight countries. Keeping in view the significance of climate-resilient initiatives, Smeda will be the lead executing partner working alongside the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Sindh government departments, FAO and the National Textile University. It will play a vital role in helping Pakistan fight climate-related issues and contribute to national economic growth.

The workshop brought together policymakers, development partners, researchers and entrepreneurs to explore the potential of banana waste as a sustainable raw material for textile and allied industries.

Speaking the event, Smeda GM Gender & Sustainability Sheharyar Tahir said the project would run from 2026 to 2031 and 40,000 women would be engaged in it. Young students will also be made part of the all-important project. Citing studies, he said banana crop in Pakistan was cultivated over 40,000 hectares and tonnes of the produce were discarded or burnt. “This can be used to extract raw banana fibre and make products related to textile, handicrafts, bags, packaging, etc,” Tahir said.

He stressed that the initiative would focus on pilot projects, technology transfer, training and capacity building, certification support, market linkages and development of traceability systems.

FAO Programme Assistant Amina Bajwa noted that Pakistan was among the most climate-vulnerable countries facing challenges such as agricultural emissions, residue burning and environmental degradation.

She emphasised that converting banana waste into high-value products offered a practical solution to reduce pollution while creating new income streams. “Collaborative efforts will help Pakistan earn revenue and it is the beginning of a journey towards sustainable bio-economy solutions,” she said.

Ministry of Climate Change Senior Joint Secretary Muhammad Ijaz Ghani described the project as inspirational and socially inclusive. He noted that the project had the potential to contribute to Pakistan’s largest export sector – textile. He underscored the importance of addressing pollution and resource depletion while appreciating Smeda for advancing climate-friendly initiatives aligned with national priorities. He said projects like this were a great source of promoting the circular economy.

Ghani pointed out that the Ministry of Climate Change had taken several initiatives to fight the adverse effects of climate change, adding that there was a need to share perspectives and insights to achieve the economic objectives. Sharing his insights, Habibur Rehman (NTU-FAO) presented the FAO project framework and explained that the initiative sought to reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported cotton while addressing pollution caused by agricultural waste. He identified key barriers such as regulatory gaps, limited finance, weak institutional coordination and value-chain gaps.