An inspired sanitary product idea spawned at Bathhurst’s Big Pineapple

Leafline produces eco-friendly reusable nappies, pads and other sanitary products from pineapple fibre for adults and babies. (Photo: Supplied)

By Georgina Crouth

28 Jul 2024

Candy Androliakos was motivated by the elderly residents of an old-age home to produce an eco-friendly, quality and affordable product that wasn’t going to end up in landfills or in waterways. Six years later, her sanitary pads, nappies and other products are being sold at markets, through agents countrywide and in a major retailer.

Most visitors to the Big Pineapple in Bathurst — the largest pineapple building in the world — would probably walk away with a craving for fresh pineapple juice and an appreciation of the tropical plant’s cultivation. But for one person, the Eastern Cape tourist attraction sparked something else: a business idea that is life-changing for its customers.

Candy Androliakos, a local beautician who volunteered at a home for the elderly in Bathurst, had been looking for an affordable, quality and eco-friendly alternative to adult incontinence products because she had witnessed the financial strain that these disposable products were placing on its residents and the environment.

Candy Androliakis, the founder of Leafline, which produces eco-friendly and reusable nappies, pads and other sanitary products from pineapple fibre for adults and babies. (Photo: Supplied)

At the Big Pineapple, she came across a billboard describing the potential of pineapple fibre. One byproduct is a cotton-like fabric, which can be milled from the leaves of a cayenne pineapple.

It was discovered by a local farmer when he observed hornets nests created from pineapple leaf fibres that are stronger and more durable than cotton, with highly absorbent properties.

Cost-effective

Androliakos realised that this fibre could be used in developing a reusable, cost-effective product that was better for the environment. With proper care, pineapple fibre pulp can last up to two years with repeated use and break down in nature within 50 years.

Single-use disposable nappies, however, take around 500 years to decompose, resulting in a waste-management problem. In rural areas, these nappies are a particular problem because they are often thrown into sewerage systems, rivers or the ocean.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that every minute, 300,000 used disposable nappies are incinerated, landfilled, or thrown into water sources. These single-use items, introduced in the 1940s, are a major culprit in the global plastic waste crisis.

In developing countries, where there is inadequate waste management infrastructure, nappies contribute significantly to plastic pollution in waterways, harming marine life. The harmful chemicals contained in them pose risks to both children and the environment.

Animals often also mistake soiled nappies for food.

Leafline produces eco-friendly reusable nappies, pads and other sanitary products from pineapple fibre for adults and babies.
(Photo: Supplied)

In the Nolukhanyo township of Bathurst, the problem is so severe that local residents refuse to eat pork because they say the pigs eat nappies.

Disposable nappies tend to be worn for longer in poorer communities because of their cost, which exposes the users to urinary tract infections.

Nappy production takes a significant toll on the planet: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation says the industry consumes 248 million barrels of crude oil annually.

It’s extremely difficult to recycle because of the combination of plastics, pulps and other materials in nappies.

With an average baby using between 4,000 to 6,000 nappies before they are potty-trained, according to the forum, the environmental impact is substantial.

Lucrative

The disposable nappy market is also a lucrative industry, valued by the WEF at more than $60-billion annually. Convenience is a key factor in their popularity, with around 95% of families in developed countries choosing disposable options, while the rising ageing population is also driving growth in the adult nappy market.

Androliakos set up Leafline in 2018, initially aiming to produce adult nappies for the elderly that are affordable, reusable and of good quality.

She contacted the pineapple farmer who agreed to start producing the fibres for her. “When I asked him how he’d discovered it, he told me he was out in the fields one day and saw his staff fleeing. He thought there must be a snake, but when he went to investigate, he saw a hornet nest that looked like a solid ball of cotton. The hornets were pulling out fibres from a pineapple leaf and he realised there could be a use for it.”

Leafline produces eco-friendly reusable nappies, pads and other sanitary products from pineapple fibre for adults and babies. (Photo: Supplied)

Previously, the fibre was weighed at her facility in Bathurst and sent to Grahamstown, where it was milled into a mat. Now, the mat is manufactured at her factory. Her six staff members, three of whom are from a special needs centre in the area, cut the mats into shapes, which are then stitched into a Leafline product.

She hasn’t needed vast quantities of the fibre pulp to date (each product requires less than 15g of the pulp) but with growing orders, Androliakos has ordered a hammer mill to produce the fibre herself.

Leafline won The Innovation Hub’s Gap Green Award in 2018 and the SAB Foundation’s Disability Empowerment Awards 2020, which significantly propelled its growth and development.

Period poverty

Her range now includes washable sanitary towels, children’s nappies, breast pads, as well as chair and bed protectors.

Leafline has now established a significant partnership with the Spar Group, which is stocking its products in select stores in the Eastern Cape and is looking at expanding to KwaZulu-Natal. They are also selling online and through agents in KZN and Gauteng.

Mpudi Maubane, national communications and sponsorship manager at the Spar Group, says period poverty is a pervasive issue, which affects millions of girls. “For many, the cost of pads and tampons is prohibitively high, pushing them toward unsafe alternatives. Tragically, seven million girls across the country grapple with period poverty, unable to afford essential feminine hygiene products.”

Maubane says the Spar Group has long engaged in educational initiatives and partnerships with schools, community organisations, and independent Spar retailers to break down the stigma surrounding menstruation.

“One of our most impactful partnerships is with Leafline, an innovative and cost-effective menstrual product that is washable and lasts up to two years. This product not only saves on monthly expenses but also empowers women economically, allowing them to invest their money in other essential needs.”

Maubane says Leafline contributes to social empowerment by employing women with learning disabilities and promotes eco-friendly practices by reducing single-use plastic waste.

“As South Africa continues to grapple with issues of inequality and access to education, initiatives like Leafline provide a beacon of hope. They remind us that a little bit of care can have a profound impact on communities and that when small businesses and corporates partner to address social challenges, the benefits ripple far and wide.”

Androliakos says sanitary towels retail for about R70 for a single pad, or R180 for a pack of three; a three-pack of nappies for R150; and an adult liner and pants costs R280 per set. The liners are strong enough to absorb about 350ml of liquid.

A month’s supply of disposable adult nappies can cost over R1,000, which is unaffordable to people on state pensions. Through Leafline, a pack could last up to two years. DM

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Cost-effective

Lucrative

Period poverty