A knife, machete or fork is used to remove the fleshy membrane from the strips until a thin thread-like fibre is revealed.

A banana trunk consists of concentric rolls of fibrous materials, which are very moist. After the fruit is reaped, the trunk is usually discarded to provide nutrients for the soil. However, they will soon be put to more viable uses by some residents, led by Michael Grizzle, in the Maroon community of Flagstaff in the hills of St James, where banana grows in abundance.

Paper will be made from the succulent trunks. It is a relatively easy process, witnessed recently by The Gleaner, and which we will share with you today.

The leaves and roots are cut from the trunk. It is then split down the middle. The layers are separated from one another and cut into strips. A knife, machete or fork is used to remove the fleshy membrane from the strips until a thin thread-like fibre is revealed. All the fibre is then dried before it's crushed to a pulp. This pulp is then soaked in water, after which it is blended with aloe vera or okra as a binding agent.

A rectangular sieve is submerged into the mixture to trap the pulp. The sieve is removed and held above the container with the mixture so that the liquid is drained from it. The sieve with the pulpy residue is passed over a vacuumed box a few times to remove all excess liquid. The moist paper is then dropped from the sieve on to a table where it is dried in the sun. For variety, other fibrous or grainy materials, such as the residue from tea bags and crushed leaves, may be added to the mixture or spread over the moist paper. The result is a thick brownish paper that can be used for many purposes, such as writing, packaging, wrapping, art and craft.

The moist paper is then dropped from the sieve on to a table where it is dried in the sun. - photos by Paul Williams

The sieve with the pulpy residue is passed over a vacuumed box a few times to remove all excess liquid.

Sheets of paper made from banana bark are almost ready for use.