Coconut Waste: Learn how skilled artisans in Kerala are creating eco-friendly products from coconut waste

Coconut waste is being used in Kerala to create beautiful and eco-friendly decor products. Local artists are creating handmade baskets, doormats, and many other items from discarded coconut parts. This initiative is not only eco-friendly but also provides employment to local artisans. These products are perfect for enhancing the beauty of every home. See how skilled artisans in Kerala are creating exquisite pieces from coconut waste.

Awesome Workmanship

Artisans work not just with their minds, but with their hearts, which is why their creations are so captivating and heartwarming. Similar remarkable craftsmanship has been witnessed in Kerala, where artisans have created remarkable objects from coconut waste. With the help of the Kerala State Coir Corporation Limited, beautiful and eco-friendly products are being made from coconut waste in Kerala. Vikram Mishra, associated with the Kerala State Coir Corporation Limited, explains that the company’s goal is to promote small artisans and make better use of waste materials to keep the environment clean.

Protecting the environment while providing employment

Vikram explains that there is a lot of coconut waste on the beaches in Kerala, which artisans use for their livelihood. Government initiatives have encouraged this effort and created new employment opportunities for artisans making various products from coconut waste. These products are also a boon for the environment. Local artisans are using it to make many essential products like baskets, doormats, and flower pots.

Pots made from coconut shells and rubber absorb water well. Plants planted in them during the summer season do not dry out because they remain moist. This government initiative is not only making good use of waste but also creating new employment opportunities.

The idea came after seeing the increasing pollution.

Vikram Mishra says that the idea of ​​promoting eco-friendly products was conceived in light of the increasing pollution, especially in Delhi, where pollution levels are increasing every year. The government has taken this initiative with this in mind. Coconut shells and rubber are combined to create garden articles as well as beautiful doormats. Some doormats are machine-made, while others are handmade by artisans.

When it comes to sales, machine-made mats sell better because they are cheaper than handmade ones. However, if someone wants something good, they will choose handmade ones because they are durable and of better quality. In fact, it takes about two hours to make a handmade mat. First, yarn is extracted from coconut, then it is converted into rope. This rope is rolled by a machine, and then the mat is made from it. This entire process requires a lot of labor and time.

Coco peat is a tonic for plants

Coco peat is not only used to make beautiful products, but it is also used to make coco peat, which is useful for planting. Coco peat is best for home gardening because it is weightless and promotes plant growth compared to soil, especially indoor plants.

Vikram says that even if pots made from cocopeat are planted in hilly areas, they will grow well, as they provide adequate moisture to the plants with less water. Furthermore, eco-friendly nests are being made from coconut waste, which anyone can place in their balcony or outside their home. This will increase the number of birds visiting. To further the government’s initiative to reduce pollution, experts and technical teams are constantly working together to develop new products.

The government is also working to protect the environment by creating unique gardens in the city. A prime example is the vertical garden on Delhi’s Nizamuddin flyover. Vikram believes that if this garden were built using pots made from coconut waste instead of plastic pots, it would be more sustainable, saving water, and enhancing plant growth.

Lakhs of people got employment

So far, 500,000 people have joined this initiative to make eco-friendly products, and more than 80 societies are working in this field, where women and youth from villages are making such products. Vikram explains that four manufacturing units have also been set up, where the products are being manufactured using machines and exported domestically and abroad.

He further explains that with the help of new technology and social media, the demand for these products is increasing. Today, these products are also being supplied to companies like Vishal Mega Mart. However, he believes that if these products are accessible to the local market, more people can benefit from them.

Best product at low cost

Products made from coconut waste are not very expensive, so everyone can afford them. Mats start at ₹200, while pots start at ₹50 and coco peat at ₹30 per kilogram. If someone wants to start making handmade mats from home, they will first need raw materials: coconut waste or fiber. Coconut fiber is usually easily available in areas where coconuts are cultivated, so they can order it from there. They can then be made at home using techniques like crochet work.

In Kerala, eco-friendly products made from coconut waste are not only conserving the environment but also promoting employment. This transformation of waste into beautiful objects is creating employment, providing artisans with a good income and providing people with eco-friendly, sustainable products.