Being an advocate of responsible manufacturing and of sustainability, Interloop Limited and National Textile University Faisalabad have collaborated for the conversion of banana agro-waste into value-added textile products. A Technology Transfer Agreement was signed by Navid Fazil, CEO, Interloop Limited, and Prof. Dr. Tanveer Hussain, Rector NTU on Oct 13, 2021. This development was a part of GCF-63 project funded by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. This project is led by Dr.Yasir Nawab, Dean SET and technically executed by Dr. Sheraz Ahmad and Dr. Faheem Ahmad (Technology Inventors) 

NTU has developed a novel process for converting banana plant waste into a finished textile product at pilot scale. Now a technology transfer agreement has been signed by Interloop, after which it holds exclusive rights to use this technology for the development of diverse products, for a period of three years. 

Addressing on the occasion, Navid Fazil applauded the efforts and intellectual hard work put in by NTU team in this project.  Sharing his thoughts he said, “Material innovations like the use of such alternative fibers in our products aligns with our vision of being a responsible business partner for our customers. our team is quite enthusiastic, and we will give our best for the success of this project.” He highlighted expected challenges in streamlining the raw material supply chain from farm to factory and offered support in managing this issue.

Prof. Dr. Tanveer Hussain assured that NTU will provide every possible intellectual and technical support to make this project successful. He also added that this agreement will be a game changer in deciding the direction of research in the country due to its impact. He urged that NTU will keep doing such kind of research which will be beneficial for both industry and academia.

While this initiative is an important step towards driving circularity in textiles, it also offers an economic development proposition for banana growing farmers of Pakistan by creating an additional revenue stream. It has been recommended to initially install a pilot-scale setup at farms near Sukhur region in Sindh for 2 to 3 months. Once expertise are developed, the setup could be up-scaled for larger farming areas.

Creating a supply chain and using yarn made of agro-waste, resonates with Interloop’s commitment towards Sustainability Development Goals; SDG 1 - No Poverty, SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth” and SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production.