Circular Economy Applicable to Waste from the Sustainable Production of Musa textilis in Costa Rica

The Musa textilis crop is known worldwide as Abaca or Manila hemp, and for many decades the pseudostem fibers have been used as export raw material for the manufacture of cellulose-based products. It is one of the most resistant natural fibers to salinity and has excellent mechanical properties, flexibility, and durability. In the Americas, the two leading countries in the production of Abaca fiber are Ecuador and Costa Rica. There is a good base of information on the agronomic aspects of the crop, the use of improved materials, fiber production techniques and quality characterization. However, there is a lack of information on the estimation of the production of residues and the alternatives for their valorization. The understanding of biomass production, characteristics and types of waste can awaken the interest of producers and companies to generate new products within the concept of waste utilization and circular economy. This work provides guidance on the estimation of waste and presents a proposal of alternatives for the use of fibers to add value. This research is also useful to motivate Banana producers in the search for alternative uses of large volumes of waste generated in the productive activity.