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Coircraft is a range of eco-friendly products made exclusively from coconut fiber that are not only aesthetically appealing and serve a variety of purposes but are also biodegradable. A brand promoted by the Kerala State Coir Corporation Limited, (a Government of Kerala undertaking) set up in 1969 to promote the use of coir and to keep the traditional handicraft from succumbing to the "plastic revolution" sweeping the globe is today world-renowned for the quality and rugged usefulness of each of its products as well as for cradling a traditional art form for over three decades till the world finally woke up to the hazards of using synthetic substitutes. India produces about one-fourth of the world's 55 billion coconuts each year. However, only 15% of the husk fibers are actually recovered for use, producing about 309,000 short tons (280,000 metric tons) of coir fiber. |
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What is commonly called a coconut, as found in grocery stores, is actually only the single seed of a fruit of the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera). Before reaching the stores, the seed is stripped of the external leathery skin and a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) thick intermediate layer of fibrous pulp. Fibers recovered from that pulp are called coir. The fibers range from sturdy strands suitable for brush bristles to filaments that can be spun into coarse, durable yarn. The most popular uses for coir are bristly door mats, agricultural twine, and geotextiles (blankets that are laid on bare soil to control erosion and promote the growth of protective ground covers). |
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