Nature’s Fresh is one of the country’s foremost pineapple exporters, with a pineapple plantation of about 300 hectares. Their large-scale production left them with tonnes of agricultural waste. “We realised that [these leaves] have the potential to be more than just organic fertiliser,” shares Aleli Mae Uy, the COO of Nature’s Fresh Pineapples. Exploring different options would give the farmers additional income as well.

After sourcing the pineapple leaves from Nature’s Fresh in Bukidnon, the team at Oro Handmade Innovations (formerly CDO Handmade Crafts) would remove the debris and dirt from the leaves before sun-drying them. Design Center senior researcher Rolyn Lomocso described the process as reducing the size of the leaves and turning them into a pulp, mixing in a reinforcing solution to build durability, then moulding the paper into sheets and letting them dry. 

When the Design Center team reached out to Helen B Lising, the GM of Ideatechs Packaging Corporation, she was immediately intrigued. Over the past nearly two decades, Ideatechs has been creating packaging for the food & beverage industry in the Philippines. Unlike other materials they used, pinyapel® had local, sustainable roots that resonated with the company’s ethos. 

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In 2019, the imaginative, community-centric efforts to push pinyapel® forward were spotlighted at the D&AD Awards. The team received a Wood Pencil Award for Future Impact in Environment and Sustainability, under the tutelage of Kwame Taylor-Hayford, a member of the D&AD Impact Council. At first, the product was only used for paper and packaging. But for senior researcher Rolyn Lomocso, “We want more from it, not just as a replacement but as a pivotal kind of innovation.”

Unlike other fibres, pinya (pineapple) has a unique sheen, softness, and strength that can be intimidating to work with at first. But once the fibres have been extracted from the pineapple leaves, they can be brushed or unbrushed. The brushed fibres are entwined to create carpets, tapestries, sacks or burlap, while the unbrushed fibres are ideal for woven baskets, tapestries, and the like. Fret not—the residual leaf fibre by-products can also create home furnishings, from architectural panels to acoustic boards. 

Plastics by Manila Automat is one company utilising these pinyapel® biocomposites, combining them with upcycled plastic. For founder and creative head Mica Agregado, “Often, plastics go through a one-way journey from its initial use to the bin, but you want to dispel the notion by creating different kinds of items and applications through upcycled plastics.” The resulting combinations can become everyday home items, from placemats and runners to lighting fixtures and baskets. 

Pinyapel® adds a distinctively Filipino touch to every item it’s used in, balancing a rustic, tropical texture with an elegant form. Woven into each fibrous frame is the Design Center's commitment to enhancing the Filipino community on every level. First, Pinyapel increases farmers’ income and empowers local communities. Second, it replenishes the country’s natural resources while providing an accessible plastic replacement. And third, it showcases Filipinos’ capacity for intentional, creative designs on the global stage. 

“What we wanted to show through this project is the Filipino value of ‘malasakit’ or the compassion in what we do with the Earth, what we do with our resources and how we provide a unique design perspective in a global discourse around design,” said Rhea O Matute, the Design Center's executive director. “It’s not just about what you take away from the soil, but what you put back into the soil to make it richer and to make it better for future generations.”

Currently, the goal is to create industrial pulp mills to maintain high-quality pinyapel® at a reasonable price, streamlining the process from farmers to artisanal makers to consumers. The Design Center's transparency around the product’s continued development is crucial, as this encourages designers to further explore the distinctive materials that are often written off as ‘waste’. 

In November 2024, the DTI-Design Center of the Philippines hosted an investment briefing at Bukidnon, exploring the creation of a non-wood pulp mill that would increase the impact of pinyapel®. This provided collaborators with a glimpse into the pulp and paper products used in home design, clothing, and packaging. 

The growing interest in pinyapel® is a sign that everyday objects—from the light fixtures over our dining tables to the notebooks we write on—are worthy of greater appreciation. Such mundane items require extensive time and effort to create, all the more if these items are created with longevity in mind. This proves that working together can turn humble materials into opportunities for infinite growth. 

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