Retailers in Southeast Asia regularly go viral on social media for wrapping fresh produce in banana leaves. Could this approach serve as an effective solution in other global regions? Packaging Europe dives deeper in search of an answer.
Some of the earliest media reports of banana leaf packaging date back to 2019, when the Rimping supermarket in Chiang Mai, Thailand, made headlines for replacing single-use plastics with banana leaves and flexible bamboo in certain applications. Other retailers in Southeast Asia have since followed suit, and photographs still make the rounds on social media to this day.
Wrapping food in banana leaves is a well-established practice in the region, whether in recipes or food storage. As explained by Vice, supermarkets are starting to embrace this approach because the leaves are sourced from a native plant, durable enough to function as a packaging solution, and have a shelf life similar to that of fresh produce.
International publications have praised the move as an effective method of tackling single-use plastic waste in a region that, according to OECD, experienced a 135 million-tonne increase in plastic use between 1990 and 2022. The ASEAN region relies heavily on an informal recycling sector, OECD continues, and it is thought to face ongoing challenges with waste management infrastructure.
Due to their natural properties, the leaves are waterproof and resistant to humidity; no extra additives are required to enhance their durability. Even their vibrant green colour is expected to unlock new shelf appeal compared to transparent polymers – and, of course, a leaf is easily and naturally biodegradable.
Plantation waste is already an up-and-coming side stream for sustainability-minded packaging solutions. For example, Papyrus Australia’s pulp-based food containers are made from banana stalks, leaves and stems, while previously Sustainability Awards winner Zafree Papers, based in Ethiopia, converts banana pseudostems into corrugated cartons for beer packaging.
Both companies are based in countries where bananas can be grown locally. Could the leaves become an effective packaging solution for retailers in Europe, for example?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Union primarily grows its bananas in overseas territories like the Canary Islands and the French West Indies. Even if the leaves are sourced from the EU’s own banana supply, they would still need to be imported.
On that note, the EU’s banana production reportedly fell by approximately 25% in 2025 – leading the bloc to import an estimated 5.5 million tonnes of bananas. This made it the world’s main banana importer last year.
Sourcing imports would not be a problem. A tariff-only import regime has applied within the European Union since January 2006, designed to secure market access for banana producers in developing countries while supporting their European counterparts, all to meet demand in the EU.
The Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas has also granted certain Latin American countries ‘most favoured nation’ status in the banana trade. As part of the agreement, the EU has committed to gradually lowering import tariffs on bananas.
As of 2021, 74% of the EU’s bananas were sourced from Latin America, 15% from Caribbean and Pacific countries, and 11% from its own production. Even so, Europe’s Single Market is a recurring talking point in the packaging sector, and an overreliance on a substrate the EU has less access to may raise some eyebrows.
Logistical questions also remain. Aside from the documentation and licenses required to import banana leaves from other regions, Packaging Europe brand director Tim Sykes has questioned the environmental implications.
“Would the leaves be shipped with bananas?” he asked. “Would it require more vessels, more oil, more greenhouse gas emissions? What would happen in the event of a bottleneck in the supply chain?”
He also points out that a banana leaf may not preserve fresh produce so effectively in certain European climates; nor would it necessarily prevent damage to the product in transit or at the point of sale. This could have further consequences for shelf appeal and resultant food waste if the product is not bought.
“A cursory Google search also indicates that banana leaves are vulnerable to pests like aphids and weevils,” Tim continues. “I assume leaves are washed before they’re used as packaging, but could mismanaged imports contaminate produce or unleash invasive species? If pesticides were used as a preventative measure, what concerns would that raise for the environment and human health?”
While the conversation around banana leaves continues, Europe is upscaling natural packaging substrates in other ways. Seaweed-based packaging is on the rise, with companies such as B’Zeos, Kelpi, Notpla, FlexSea, and Sway offering solutions for European customers.
Z1RO is also leading the charge to convert fallen leaves, hemp hurds and other non-wood biomass into moulded fibre packaging. Product applications include cosmetics and beauty, consumer electronics, wines and spirits, luxury and gifting, and premium FMCG products.
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