The Potential of Utilizing Sri Lankan Banana Agro-Waste to Generate Sustainable Textiles

This chapter aims to provide available data on banana varieties of Sri Lanka, potential opportunities for extracting fibre from common varieties, their physical, chemical, and morphological characteristics, and possible textile applications and related government interventions. Banana is the most widely grown fruit crop in Sri Lanka and generates massive organic waste. This waste, a rich source of cellulose fibre, can be used to extract sustainable natural fibres as an alternative in the textile industry. A limited number of studies have been conducted on Sri Lankan banana fibres’ physio-chemical and morphological characteristics and their applications in textiles. Present literature on banana fibres are country-specific factors; therefore, an overall analysis and their application in the Sri Lankan context will generate new market opportunities and open avenues for further research. The chapter will address SDGs 1 and 9.