Degree

Master of Business Administration

Faculty / School

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Advisor

Dr. Muhammad Kamran Mumtaz, Assistant Professor, Department of Management

Project Coordinator (External)

Mr. Syed Muhammd Safeer, Deputy Factory Manager, Soorty Enterprises, Cluster 03

Client

Soorty Enterprises

Committee Member 1

Mr. Mohsin Sadaqat, Project Reviewer, Department of Finance

Committee Member 2

Dr. Muhammad Shafique, Program Director MBA & Executive MBA, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Project Type

MBA Research Project

Keywords

Sustainability, Banana-Peel, Denim Manufacturing

Abstract / Summary

This study examines the feasibility of integrating banana peel, an agro-industrial waste stream generated in Pakistan, as a cotton-blend fiber input in denim manufacturing at Soorty Enterprises, a vertically integrated Karachi-based denim producer. The research addresses rising production costs and increasingly stringent buyer sustainability requirements from global clients including H&M, Levi's, PVH, and Inditex. Employing a mixed-methods design combining stakeholder consultations, laboratory fabric trials, and secondary industry and life-cycle-assessment benchmark data, the study evaluated five fiber extraction methods and identified enzymatic degumming using pectinase as the optimal process for fiber quality and certification compliance under GOTS, ZDHC, and Bluesign standards. Trial results across multiple blend ratios established a 20% banana peel substitution rate as commercially optimal, yielding an increase in gross margin, alongside a reduction in water consumption and measurable reductions in carbon emissions and effluent chemical load. The findings indicate a first-mover opportunity for Soorty, as no domestic or international competitor has pursued banana peel valorization, while the outcomes align with Higg FEM, GRI, SBTi, and CDP sustainability disclosure frameworks. A phased supply chain implementation is recommended, projected to generate $37.2 million in cumulative three-year revenue.

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Available for download on Friday, September 28, 2029

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