SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS: The pursuit of sustainable materials is a journey that requires time, dedication and innovation. Many brands take this path, but few manage to overcome the challenges and achieve results.
Qwstion, a Swiss backpack brand founded by Christian Kägi in 2008, is one such brand that has successfully navigated this journey. Over the past decade, the brand has dedicated itself to creating sustainable materials, and a key milestone was reached with the discovery in 2015 of the abacá plant. After years of research and development, the brand launched Bananatex in 2018, a revolutionary material made from abacá fibers cultivated regeneratively in the Philippines.
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The production process of Bananatex starts from the fibers. The abacá fibers are harvested three times a year, cut, stripped, dried and bundled before being boiled and pressed into sheets for shipping to Taiwan. There, the abacá sheets are processed into yarn, dyed using sustainable methods certified to the highest standards (Oeko-Tex Standard 100), and woven into a high-density fabric with a natural beeswax coating, creating Bananatex — a water-resistant, durable and smooth material. The production locations in Asia are all BSCI-certified (business social compliance initiative certified), ensuring responsible and safe working conditions.
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The new fabric has become a signature material for the brand, earning numerous international awards for sustainability and design, including the Green Product award 2019 and the Design Prize Switzerland award 2019/20. Furthermore, in December 2021, the fabric received the Cradle to Cradle gold certification, recognizing its safety, circularity and responsible production.
Another key aspect of Bananatex is its open-source nature, designed to be shared with others to offer a viable alternative to synthetic materials that dominate the bag industry.
Headquartered in Limmatstrasse, Switzerland, the B Corp-certified company is contributing to Zurich’s sustainability commitment, underscored by the EarthCheck certification achieved in November 2024. This recognition is the result of a collaborative effort between the City of Zurich and the Tourism Board, working together to make the destination one of the most sustainable in the world by 2030.