Piñatex is a leather alternative made by felting the long fibres from pineapple leaves, an agricultural by-product, and combining them with PLA (polylactic acid), a plant-based plastic derived from cornstarch. 

This base, typically around 80% pineapple leaf fibre and 20% PLA, is then coated with a resin, often petroleum-based, to enhance durability and water resistance.

While the majority of Piñatex is sourced from biodegradable and renewable materials and its production repurposes waste without requiring extra land, water, or fertilisers, the resin finish means the final product is only biodegradable under controlled conditions. Piñatex offers notable environmental advantages over traditional leather and many synthetics, but until its coating becomes bio-based, something Ananas Anam is looking into, the inclusion of non-biodegradable coatings means its overall sustainability is nuanced.