These students are going green, one pineapple shoe at a time

Caroline FloydMeteorologist

Ever heard of pineapple leather?

This start-up company in Quebec is going green with a tropical flair.

SCOLOCO is the brainchild of students at Collège Sainte-Anne de Lachine and their teacher, Brigitte Dionne, who wanted to take a hands-on approach to business class by starting a real company -- and one that contributes to a green economy.

Fire up the barbecue - the countdown to our official 2019 #SummerForecast is on! See our full report on TV and online June 27

The shoes are made with 100 per cent cotton laces, natural rubber soles and Piñatex, a newcomer to the leather-substitute market made from pineapple husk fibres.

The class wanted to create a vegan product, Dionne told MétéoMédia, but without using faux-leather made from plastic, a petroleum derivative.

According to the Piñatex company site, the product is sustainably-sourced and cruelty free, using the byproduct of existing agricultural processes.

Matthew Tsirmbas, one of the students involved in the project, told Global News the group was interested in taking steps toward a greener future. "We just told ourselves: 'It's time for us to take a stand, and this is how we are going to make our stand," Tsirmbas said.

Content continues below

The shoes are availabe for sale online.

WATCH BELOW: HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR LAUNDRY MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY