Turning Durian Peels into Soft Power: Chula PhD Innovates Thailand’s First Sustainable Woven Fiber

Chulalongkorn doctoral graduate developed fashion items from durian peel waste with higher breathability than pure silk and near 100% antibacterial qualities. The products aim to add economic value, contribute to gearing Thailand’s soft power towards the global stage under the brand MUW, fashion pieces that perfectly blend nature, art, and spiritual beliefs. The innovation won the Outstanding Award at the 2024 Thailand Research Expo.

Thailand is the world’s number-one producer of “durian,” with export rates of both fresh fruit and processed products having surged by 488%. However, this economic success has brought significant environmental challenges. Data from 2017–2021 show that durian peels generate 146 million kilograms of waste per year, and the amount continues to rise. Currently, most of this waste is disposed of through landfilling or burning—methods that not only burden farmers but also create pollution that severely impacts the environment and people’s long-term health.

If burning or burying is not an option, what other ways are there to manage durian-peel waste?

As someone passionate about fashion, textiles, and environmental issues, Dr. Usa Prachakul, a doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University (Creative Arts – Fashion and Textiles), has developed a creative solution: “Circular Textile Innovation from Durian Peel Waste to Anti-bacterial Clothing.” This marks the first time in Thailand that durian peels have been transformed into a textile innovation for apparel.

This research began with formulating key questions and exploring ways to make use of discarded durian peels during the second semester of the first year of the doctoral program. It was then gradually developed and tested over the course of more than three years, ultimately resulting in completed works and products ready for commercial expansion under the brand MUW.OFFICIAL in the final year of the program.

This innovation not only helps address environmental concerns but also creates added economic value, supports local economies, and promotes Thailand’s soft power on the global stage. It has earned the Outstanding Award in the 2024 National Higher Education Innovation Contest in the fields of Energy, Environment, and Technology, and the BCG Economy Model at the Thailand Research Expo 2024. It also received the Excellence Award at the 24th International FABI Fashion Exhibition 2024 from the Korean Society of Fashion Business in South Korea. In addition, the project received funding through the Innovation to Business program from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) to further develop the doctoral dissertation by expanding fiber and woven textile production.

The Journey of the Fiber: From Pineapple to Durian Peel

Before developing the innovation “Circular Textile from Durian Peel Waste”, Dr. Usa already had experience with creating fibers from agricultural waste. During her work in pursuit of a master’s degree, she developed fiber from discarded pineapple leaves and transformed it into a collection of bags.

Later, while pursuing her doctoral studies, Dr. Usa expanded her interest by exploring other economic crops with potential for fiber production. This exploration eventually led her to durian—an economic crop that generates a large volume of peel waste each year and also possesses properties suitable for fiber extraction.

“Durian peel contains up to 30 percent natural cellulose and has mechanical properties similar to cotton and hemp fibers, making it a viable material for use in the textile industry.”

However, extracting durian peel into high-quality fiber is a difficult and challenging process. Dr. Usa explained, “In the beginning, we dried the durian peels, then boiled and dried them until fibers were produced. But the resulting fibers were brittle and stiff, making them unusable.”

Failure became the starting point for further knowledge-seeking. The research site in Chanthaburi Province—one of Thailand’s major durian-growing areas with abundant durian peel waste—played an important role. There, Dr. Usa met and received guidance from a professor at Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University, Chanthaburi, who had experience extracting fibers from durian peels for packaging paper.

“The method I learned and experimented with was soaking the durian peels in plain water. This approach prevents the fibers from deteriorating, and I could separate the fibers that I could use later.”

Circular Textiles: Breathable, Naturally Antibacterial Textiles with Superior Quality

Once a viable method for extracting high-quality fiber from durian peels was established, the next crucial step was experimenting with weaving the fibers into fabric. At this stage, Dr. Usa worked closely with local communities, emphasizing the use of folk knowledge and skills in hand-spinning yarn (or manual yarn winding).

“The fabric-weaving experiments began with a prototype yarn of NE12 count, composed of 80 percent silk blended with 20 percent durian fiber. We then tested weaving fabrics in various ratios—50:50, 60:40, 70:30, 80:20, and 90:10—of silk to silk–durian blended yarn. In all cases, silk yarn was used as the warp, while the silk–durian blended yarn was used as the weft,” Dr. Usa explained, outlining the experimental approach.

All fabric samples in every ratio underwent rigorous performance lab tests as well as tests by the Thailand Textile Institute, covering both chemical and physical properties. The tests included pH (acid–base) testing, washing and spinning durability, microscopic examination before and after washing, tensile strength testing, air permeability testing, and antibacterial performance testing.

“The results of both chemical and physical performance tests showed that the silk fabric blended with durian fiber at a 50:50 ratio had nearly double the air permeability of 100 percent silk fabric. The silk–durian blended fabric achieved an air permeability value of 59.46 cubic centimeters per square centimeter per second, compared with only 39.68 cubic centimeters per square centimeter per second for 100 percent silk. In addition, the developed fabric demonstrated antibacterial effectiveness as high as 99.92 percent.”

With its excellent breathability and strong antibacterial properties, Dr. Usa is confident that silk fabric blended with durian fiber will meet the needs of consumers who prioritize hygiene and comfort.

The innovation is patented and in the process of further commercialization.

“This innovation can be developed into high value products,” Dr. Usa said, outlining two approaches to increasing product value. The first involves collaboration with local communities, drawing on folk knowledge and craftsmanship in fabric production (hand-spinning or manual yarn-winding). The second approach involves working with factories, using ring spinning technology to produce yarn on a commercial scale.

In its initial phase, the production of durian-fiber textiles relied entirely on community-based methods, from hand-spinning the fibers and dyeing the yarn to weaving the fabric. However, in response to market demand and production timelines, Dr. Usa later adjusted the process by blending durian fiber with silk and producing the yarn using industrial machinery. This helped speed up the spinning process and better meet consumer demand. Meanwhile, yarn dyeing and fabric weaving continue to rely entirely on community-based wisdom and craftsmanship, preserving the value and unique identity of traditional handwoven textiles.

MUW: Durian-Peel Textiles for Spiritually Minded Gen Y Consumers

The innovative research “Circular Textile Innovation from Durian Peel Waste” does not stop at yarn production. Building on the outstanding qualities of the fabric, Dr. Usa has further developed it into fashion and lifestyle products under the brand MUW.OFFICIAL, which represents a key outcome of this research, guided by a contemporary design approach.

Dr. Usa explained that the brand employs concepts of kinetic textiles and kinetic structures, using the movement of lines through visual elements to create optical dimensions and illusions. These designs form silhouettes that complement the female body, enhancing confidence and personal presence for the wearer. A distinctive highlight of the brand is its use of traditional hand-weaving wisdom passed down through generations, transformed into nine auspicious animal motifs: deer (prosperity and happiness), tiger (leadership), lion (power), dragon (good fortune), peacock (auspiciousness), swan (prosperity and growth), three-legged frog (wealth accumulation), horse (the power of success), fish (abundance and prosperity).

“Durian fiber is also regarded as a type of auspicious natural fiber. When it is woven into fabrics featuring auspicious animal motifs—symbols interpreted through semiotic theory—it becomes a fusion of cultural belief and modern innovation. This adds value to the product on a deeper level, beyond mere functionality, by offering spiritual reassurance and reinforcing beliefs in good fortune,” Dr. Usa said, describing the brand’s unique appeal.

MUW.OFFICIAL offers a wide range of products, including apparel, bags, footwear, accessories, and home décor items. All products are made using natural processes and traditional hand-weaving craftsmanship.

The MUW.OFFICIAL brand officially launched in 2024, using online channels for marketing communication and product sales. Dr. Usa noted that the brand’s primary target audience is Generation Y, aged 27–42. This group includes both salaried professionals who aspire to career success and young entrepreneurs seeking to achieve business success.

Interviews with consumers in the target group reveal shared characteristics: a strong desire to succeed professionally at a young age, coupled with environmental awareness. They are interested in products made from natural materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable. Importantly, this group is also drawn to auspicious products that provide emotional reassurance and are believed to support success,” Dr. Usa said.

This fusion of auspicious beliefs with environmental responsibility enables durian-fiber products to resonate strongly with Generation Y consumers. When the products were introduced to the market through exhibition booths, the response exceeded expectations. Consumers showed strong interest and positive feedback, confirming that the target market identified from the outset was accurate and truly aligned with consumer needs.

Circular Economy for Sustainability

Dr. Usa stated that having a new option for managing waste not only helps solve environmental problems but also creates a new value chain from upstream to downstream.

Communities in Chanthaburi Province and other areas with large amounts of durian peel waste can generate additional income, reduce environmental problems, and enhance the skills of local weavers. For the public sector, this innovation provides new knowledge that can be further developed and scaled up in other communities, while the private sector gains support in developing products from natural fibers, leading to long-term production cost reductions, especially by reducing reliance on imported fibers.

The development of this product is an extension toward becoming part of Thailand’s soft power, as it blends local wisdom with modern innovation to create distinctive products through storytelling rooted in culture, beliefs, and creativity deeply embedded in Thai society. This approach can be further expanded and adapted to other areas of Thailand that generate agricultural waste, as well as applied to other materials with similar properties. This is not just about solving waste problems; it is about building a new sustainable ecosystem that connects farmers, communities, industry, and consumers,” Dr. Usa concluded.

The innovation of fiber made from durian peel serves as another model of sustainable development that addresses environmental issues arising from agricultural waste. It also concretely promotes the circular economy and strengthens the green economy under the BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) Economy Model.

What has emerged is a linkage between local wisdom and modern technology, a pathway to creating value from what was once considered worthless. This demonstrates that with creativity and determination, what appears to be a problem can be transformed into a golden opportunity that leads society toward a brighter and more sustainable future.

Anyone interested in MUW.OFFICIAL can connect with the brand and get more information via the brand’s social media channels: Facebook, Line OA, TikTok: muw.official and Instagram: muw_official

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