YANGON, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- In a small ground surrounded by banana trees in a farm in Yangon region in Myanmar, U Myint Thein skillfully peels a banana tree stem, showing how to extract fibers from the plant to make value-added products.

"This is the first step in turning plant waste into something useful. We can extract the fibers using just a knife and scissors," explained U Myint Thein, the founder of Green Banana.

Since 2019, U Myint Thein has been leading this initiative to turn discarded banana stems into eco-friendly products, including footwears, pillows, towels, clothing and hats.

"The goal of this initiative is to turn waste into wealth, create income opportunities for local people, and protect the environment by using natural resources," he said.

U Myint Thein credited his expertise in making the products to training provided by some international organizations.

One of the achievements he has made was winning the Creativity Star Prize at a 2022 innovation and entrepreneurship competition for his efforts to transform plant waste into wealth.

However, the journey hasn't been smooth without challenges. "Our business is more of an entrepreneurial project than a small or medium-sized enterprise. One of the biggest difficulties is the uncertainty of when we will become profitable," he said.

"Additionally, we don't measure success in financial terms but by how much our products improve lives," he added.

He said that he has conducted over 30 training sessions across Myanmar with about 20 participants each. Attended mainly by women and farmers, the courses teach people how to create value from plant waste.

Currently, the products are not sold to the public, but U Myint Thein hopes to have them on supermarket shelves by 2025.

Looking to the future, U Myint Thein is optimistic. "The potential for banana-based products is promising, as our country has plenty of banana trees. If we use them wisely, we can even boost the economy," he said.

One of the beneficiaries of his initiative was 64-year-old U Lu Tin from Yangon region. "In the past, we discarded banana stems. Now, we can sell them for extra income. A banana stem is now worth 2,000 kyats (about 0.95 U.S. dollars)," U Lu Tin shared.

Green Banana's initiative not only brings economic benefits but also reduces waste significantly. A signal banana tree can yield enough fiber to produce over 10 pieces of items like slippers.

Regarding the entrepreneurship of the initiative, Daw Yi Yi Hlaing, director from the Department of Small Scale Industries under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, said: "Entrepreneurs face many challenges. It is necessary to support them to overcome these difficulties."

In addition to banana trees, the fibers were also extracted from plants like roselle, jute, and pineapple to create valuable products, 51-year-old Daw Yi Yi Myaing, who learned the skill from U Myint Thein believed those products are healthier and good for the environment.

"Using agricultural waste to produce value-added products reduces waste and promotes a circular economy," said Daw Zin Mar Tun, deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

She pointed out that extracting fibers from bananas and roselle has minimal impact on the environment or human health. Furthermore, banana cultivation requires fewer fertilizers and pesticides, also helpful to conserve the environment.

"Since bananas and roselle decay easily, they are less harmful to the environment compared to synthetic fibers," she said. Enditem

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