Would you wear a banana tree? While searching for a quality bag, Christian Kaegi realised that most products are made from plastic. His concern was less about the durability of artificial fabrics and more about its environmental impact. Each time these materials are washed, thousands of microplastics are released. Over 30% of microplastics found in oceans are caused by laundering. To combat the use of synthetic fibres, Kaegi founded the label QWSTION in 2008. His team has created Bananatex, the world’s first fabric made from banana tree fibre. At their Zurich studio, each detail of their bags is eco-considered as they continue to innovate. “We see it as our responsibility to take care of all the things on our land,” Kaegi says. Visit qwstion.com to learn more. Footage by QWSTION was used in the creation of this film.
Up Next in Season 2
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Benson Maroro
Without electricity, there’s little you can accomplish. Impoverished communities limited by a lack of power turn to dangerous alternatives such as kerosene lamps to get by. Benson Maroro, an electrical engineer at Renewable World, is combatting this problem by connecting people to clean energy so...
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Tessa Carroll
Could cactus plants fashion the leather of the future? For handbag designer Tessa Carroll, it’s the ideal eco-friendly alternative to animal hides and their petroleum-based counterpart, commonly known as ‘pleather’. Carroll works with innovators in Mexico who have fabricated a textile, called Des...
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Daan Roosegaarde
Light pollution is one of the most underestimated environmental problems. It disturbs people’s sleep cycles and endangers nocturnal animals by confusing their natural pathways. Dutch artist and architect Daan Roosegaarde is a pioneer in the efforts to reduce artificial light. His installation alo...
