Turning pineapple leaves into paper.

Using discarded pineapple leaves from the fields, a group of students from An Giang 1 Vocational School have created eco-friendly paper for arts, crafts, and souvenirs, opening up a new direction for utilizing agricultural waste products in a circular economy model.

The "Pineapple Paper" project was carried out by a group of students including Danh Thi Tu Vy, Danh Thi Bich Dieu, Thi Thu Hien, and Danh Phat, under the guidance of Ms. Tran Thi Huyen Dieu, M.Sc. - Vice Principal of An Giang 1 Vocational School and Ms. Chau Thi Thanh Thuy - teacher of the Faculty of Agriculture , Campus 1, An Giang 1 Vocational School.

The group of students are working on the "Pineapple Paper" project, showcasing their artwork written and drawn on pineapple paper. Photo: BICH TUYEN

Danh Thi Tu Vy, a veterinary science student from class K13B1 and the project leader, shared that her grandfather was a farmer who dedicated his life to growing pineapples along the Cai Be and Cai Lon rivers. Each pineapple season brought sweet fruits and joy, but also great concern because tons of pineapple leaves had to be discarded, causing waste and environmental pollution. From these concerns, in early September 2025, the idea for the "Pineapple Paper" project was born, with the desire to awaken the potential and create useful products from pineapple leaves.

Pineapple leaves are collected, undergo processes such as fiber separation, pulp processing, papermaking (paper making), and natural drying in sunlight or in a low-temperature drying oven to become finished pineapple paper. The finished paper has a durable, fabric-like texture, a light yellow color with unique fiber patterns, and is biodegradable. Pineapple paper is designed into paper bags, greeting cards, notebooks, or used in art (painting, calligraphy). The successful project has "reborn" waste pineapple leaves into useful and unique pineapple paper, contributing to the development of a circular agricultural economy and increasing income for pineapple farmers.

The research team analyzed, evaluated, and demonstrated the superior advantages of pineapple paper compared to other industrial and handcrafted papers in terms of durability and strength, water resistance; aesthetic value and uniqueness, natural color and fragrance; environmental friendliness and safety for health, and high applicability. In terms of price, pineapple paper costs approximately 250,000 VND/kg, significantly cheaper than banana paper (300,000 - 500,000 VND/kg), lotus paper (600,000 - 800,000 VND/kg), and Do paper (800,000 - 2.5 million VND/kg). Compared to other handcrafted papers, pineapple paper is more expensive but utilizes 100% agricultural waste, helping to reduce environmental pollution and create livelihoods for farmers. Meanwhile, industrial paper still relies on natural forest wood or recycled paper.

The project won first prize at the "An Giang 1 Vocational School Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 2025"; second prize at the "An Giang Province Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, 5th Edition, 2025"; and first prize at the "Students with Startup Ideas" Competition (SV_Startup, 8th Edition) in Hanoi . "Seeing the pineapple leaves 'reborn' into durable paper, we are very happy. Winning high awards in many competitions affirms the usefulness, uniqueness, and creativity of the project, creating strong motivation for us to spread the message 'Green Regeneration - Sustainable Community'," Tú Vy shared.

Ms. Chau Thi Thanh Thuy stated: “The group aims to have its pineapple paper product recognized as a 4-star OCOP product within the next five years (by 2030) and to build a nationwide distribution system. This goal is based on several factors, including the product's usefulness and uniqueness, abundant and inexpensive raw materials, a potential market, and solid resources. Furthermore, the project aligns with government policy by realizing a circular economy model, aligning with the Party and State's sustainable agricultural development orientation.”

To achieve its goals, the team standardized processes by investing in semi-automatic machinery and workshops; strengthened strategic cooperation and linked with pineapple farming cooperatives to stabilize raw material supply and protect the brand; diversified products, developing from simple pineapple paper to high-value products such as artistic gift boxes, fashion handbags, and textile materials; and boosted communication and product distribution.

In addition to the core workforce of four members, the team also has a successor team consisting of vocational students from various courses at the Faculty, and a team of advisors from the Faculty of Agriculture, Campus 1. Furthermore, the project aims to specialize production departments by utilizing local labor or implementing a decentralized model by commissioning local people to process and separate the cellulose fibers from pineapple leaves, enabling them to participate in the supply chain and ensuring the project's sustainability.

For Vy, during the project, the team members learned a lot of useful knowledge and skills, developed understanding, solidarity, and shared experiences, and grew together. “After graduation, we will continue the project in the next stages because it is the passion of the whole team. By developing the project, we not only sell paper and products made from pineapple leaf paper but also provide an environmental solution, a sustainable livelihood, and a cultural story woven from native pineapple leaf fibers,” Vy said.

BICH TUYEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/bien-la-khom-thanh-giay-a485254.html