The Banofi Story
At Banofi we have the courage to shatter the boundaries of imagination. We believe that our purpose is to turn the tide – to break free from the status quo and make way for revolution. We’re resolute to make impactful innovation the new normal.
With an inventive mindset and a fearless spirit, we embark on a quest to find sustainable alternatives to raw materials that are simply cooler – for the climate and for you! That’s our way of spinning sustainability a tad differently, to build a better future, one fibre at a time!
The journey so far
It began when our founder, Jinali Mody, struggled to find a sustainable leather bag. Being from India, one of the largest exporters of leather, she was cognizant of the environmental impact of this resource intensive and highly polluting material. She knew that synthetic leather that promises to be vegan is also made from petrochemical sources. Noticing a lack of sustainable alternatives, sent her on a journey towards replacing materials that harm our planet. Jinali, leveraged her business experience from McKinsey & Co. and her Masters Degree in Sustainability from the Yale School of Environment to kick start this venture. She then began to build a team which now consists of a motley crew of individuals with expertise across leather, textiles, design, agriculture and material science.
India is the perfect location for Banofi. As the world’s largest producer of bananas, India generates 4 tons of waste for every 1 ton of fruit. For Banofi this is a gold mine of resources.
Our team saw a path to redefine the materials of the future, by upcycling banana crop waste into premium leather products. We are on a path to make luxury fashion sustainable.
The Problems that Banofi is tackling:
LITRES OF WATER REQUIRED FOR ONE LEATHER BAG
TONS BANANA WASTE GENERATED ANUALLY
BANANA FARMERS IN INDIA EARNING < $2 / DAY
Material Composition
We create premium plant-based leather from banana fibres and agricultural waste.
The fiber that makes us
banana stem waste
natural additives
polymers primarily recycled
Our proprietary material, Ban-o-Fi (Banana Fibre Leather), has a significantly lower environmental impact than both animal and plastic leather. We continue to innovate and reduce our dependence on polymers. True sustainability is extremely challenging and is the mission that we are deeply dedicated to.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
100% Reduced toxic wastewater
90% Less CO2 Emissions
Colossal Banana Waste Upcycled
COMMUNITY IMPACT
We source our banana waste solely from smallholder farmers, where this waste is not utilised. These farmers are the core of our business, providing us with the main ingredient for our process and are compensated for their valuable produce, in turn disincentivizing crop burning practices. The removal of this waste reduces water logging in fields and the breeding of mosquitos and scorpions.
Banofi and Beyond
Our materials have widespread applications across fashion, furniture, automotives and packaging industries. We are beginning our journey by red carpeting into the world of fashion. Join us in our journey to create guilt-free and sustainable materials.
Soulful Innovation
to utilise disregarded and overlooked resources.
Soulful creation
of an environmentally friendly and cruelty free material.
Soulful Participation
towards a better future
