Mover x Bananatex

The Qwstion + Mover Hip Pack made from Bananatex material / Source: Qwstion

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4 MINUTE READ

Jessica Harman

WHAT WE SAY:

We see many products which contain one or two plastic-free materials, but which do not go all the way to completely eliminating plastic. So it is always inspiring to see two genuinely committed and ambitious materials pioneers, working together to create a brilliant product that is also fully plastic-free.

Yes, there is no escaping that we would prefer it to be available at a lower price point and at mass volumes - but we know quality and systemic change costs. This is a powerful signal to the plastic-addicted outdoor gear industry that going plastic-free is possible. Now, let us see if it is possible for a big brand to take up the challenge - or is their entire business supply chain irreversibly addicted to plastic? Time will tell.

KEY FACTS:

The Qwstion + Mover Hip Pack is a collaboration between two Swiss brands focused on eliminating plastic from their products – bag maker Qwstion and Mover Sportswear.
Launched in April 2022, the plastic-free bag is made primarily from Bananatex, a highly durable, plant-based fibre made from Abacá banana plants.
The bag is designed to be benignly biodegradable, featuring all natural materials and coatings, and detachable and recyclable Aluminium fastenings.
The made-to-order bag is priced at USD 180 and is limited to 100 pieces.

The Hip Pack is 100% plastic-free / Source: Qwstion

Designed to be worn around the waist, the Hip Pack is lightweight and intended for outdoor activities / Source: Qwstion

DIVE DEEPER:

Mover is a plastic-free Swiss sportswear company, a rarity in a sector that relies heavily on high performing synthetic fibres. The roots of the company were in conventional synthetic-based sportswear, but in 2006 the brand started the shift away from plastic, which culminated in its 2017 shift away from Gore-Tex to the natural, breathable and waterproof Cotton-based Ventile.
As well as its primary Bananatex material, the Qwstion + Mover hip bag features natural fibres throughout, including a Merino felt padding (made from a blend of wool and rayon) and an organic cotton compartment.
Bananatex is coated with an all-natural beeswax, to make the material waterproof while maintaining its biodegradability.
Bananatex was launched in 2018 by Swiss bag maker Qwstion, in collaboration with local Abacá farmers in the Philippines, and a yarn specialist and a weaving manufacturer, both based in Taiwan.
The fibre was Cradle to Cradle Gold Certified in 2021 and has won a number of other awards, including Green Product Award 2019, the Design Prize Switzerland Award 2019/20 and the German Sustainability Award Design 2021.
Qwstion has open-sourced the material – enabling other brands to work with it. As well as this collaboration with Mover, in March 2021, H&M released a Bananatex-based shoe in collaboration with British footwear brand Good News; the material has also been used to make furniture.

"We need to be more efficient with the resources we have. Nature offers the best examples in that regard. There is no waste in nature. Our species invented waste."

Christian Kaegi - Co-Founder and Creative Director, Qwstion

Key Design Considerations:

Is the material viable at scale?

While Qwstion reports that around 80% of its bags are produced using Bananatex, a figure that is expected to increase to close to 100% by 2025, the brand’s creative director has admitted that it is “massively more expensive” than synthetic alternatives, at around USD 27 per metre, versus USD 3-4 per metre for polyester or nylon. Mover is a pioneering premium brand and so its customers are likely to be comfortable with the bag’s USD 180 price point, but we would love to see sustainable materials like Bananatex scale to a point where they become competitive in price with cotton at the very least.

Can collaboration help you unlock true end-of-life sustainability?

Nicolas Rochat, Mover’s CEO, has spoken about the challenges of solving the "small things," such as trims and zippers, and how working with Qwstion enables two brands that are both committed to going plastic-free, to share information. If you are looking to design a plastic-free product, who might you be able to collaborate with in order to learn from their experiences?