A Natural Bioresourcre–Banana Fiber for Value Added Yoga Mats

AbstractBanana is a horticultural crop and is grown abundantly in Bihar. The banana stems are chopped off and are being wasted including pseudostems that are left as a waste (Priyadarshana et al., 2022). There is a huge amount of bio waste from the banana produce. The textile industry has obtained many fibers from bioresource waste as an important step toward sustainable development (Devi, 2020). Banana fiber stands out for being both environmentally friendly and biodegradable, setting it apart from various synthetic alternatives. As the fashion realm continues to evolve and introduce novel innovations, there is a growing imperative to prioritize environmental preservation consequently these fibers offer dual benefits for being favorable for both individuals and the environment. Thus study on “A natural Bio-resource: Banana fiber for value added yoga mats” was conducted with objectives to develop banana – cotton union fabric for yoga mats and to evaluate its preferences. Banana fibers were extracted from Chinia variety of Banana plant available abundantly in Bihar. The combed and uncombed banana fiber of China was used in horizontal direction and cotton was used in longitudinal direction for weaving of yoga mats. The cost was estimated for fiber, Banana cotton union fabric and yoga mats considering the raw material cost, labor cost, electricity cost and transport etc. Yoga mats were evaluated for their properties and preferences were studied using questionnaires and the collected data was analyzed statistically. It was revealed that most of the respondents agreed to recommend these Banana cotton union fabric yoga mats to other. Combed Chinia fiber had high luster over uncombed fiber. Banana–cotton union fabric from Chinia uncombed fiber had better strength. Yoga mats from Banana–cotton union fabric were highly preferred by the respondents.