According to the UN’s Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), next to the oil industry, leather production is one of the most polluting sectors in the world. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, for every ton of pineapples harvested, 3 tons get wasted. How are the two related? It turns out the answer to leather’s carbon problem might be found on pineapple leaves. In our new How It Got Made series, we chat to Rupen Desai, Creative Marketing Officer at @dolesunshine, about their partnership with @lc.nyc and @ananas.anam to create Piñatex – a vegan, cruelty free and sustainable leather alternative made from the fiber of Pineapple leaves. - What sparked the idea? It was part of Dole’s six promises for people, planet and prosperity. We were researching things we could do to reduce fruit waste and we hit upon Ananas Anam, which had created a prototype for Piñatex in 2016. We realised that Dole, L&C and Ananas Anam could each bring a certain superpower if we worked together and at scale. - How did you work effectively to communicate with so many stakeholders? Business transformations like these only happen when it’s everybody’s idea: from the supply chain to procurement to finance. Define the shared purpose at the start of the process, recognise each other’s superpowers and be agile enough to adapt. - Is the plan to achieve zero waste? Yes. This year, the company launched a new business in partnership with the Singapore government’s Economic Development Board, called Gold Speciality Ingredients, whose only focus is the parts of the food that we don’t use. For us, this is serious business growth and profit. - What advice do you have for companies looking to create work around the circular economy? If something is sustainable, you generally have to pay more money for it. It is incumbent upon companies to give consumers the same experience without them having to pay more or go through hardship themselves. That’s the next big challenge. Read the new How It Got Made report for more exclusive behind-the-scenes stories on Lion-winning work — right from the people who made it. Find it at lovethework.com. #pinatex #crueltyfree #canneslions #howitgotmade