Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Coir


Coir, extracted from the husk of the coconut, is the fibrous material found between the internal coconut shell and the outer layer. The extracting and processing of coir is performed in accordance with a series of activities, resulting in coir that is used for the manufacturing of various environmentally friendly products; these are then used to help prevent soil erosion and in many horticultural procedures. The complete process that CoirGreen™ follows in creating coir is entirely environmentally friendly and has no negative impact on nature.

Fully mature green coconuts are either plucked from the tree after twelve months or picked once ripened and fallen from the tree to extract coir while unripe coconuts are spread on the ground to be dried.
There are two types of coir:
  • Brown fibre
  • White fibre
 Brown fibre, which CoirGreen™ mainly uses, is obtained from mature coconuts that are ready to be processed into copra and desiccated coconuts. The outer fibrous layer of the coconut is manually separated from the hard shell using a steel-tipped spike or a machine.


 Converting the fibre into coir

The extracted husks are then placed along river-banks, concrete tanks or suspended by nets and soaked in a slow-moving body of water so that the fibres swell and soften. Earlier, this action was carried out for 6 to 10 months; however, recently introduced mechanical techniques allow this process to be completed within 7 to 10 days.

The fibre pulp is then beaten with wooden mallets in order to separate the coir fibres from the pith and outer skin of the coconut. Traditionally, this process was carried out manually, but in recent years, motorized machines are used to increase efficiency. The resultant fibres are washed and subsequently spread loose on the ground to dry.

Next, the fibres are combined with mechanical or manual carding tools and then spun to form fine yarn, which is later twisted to make long and strong coir strings. Finally, these coir strings are wound into bundles. This is carried out using hand spinning tools or automated spinning machines.
 Fibres that will not be immediately processed are collected and tied into loose bundles for storage and shipment.

Environmentally friendly coir making process
 CoirGreen™ ‘s ultimate goal is to be an ambassador for the environment by promoting the use of environmentally sustainable products. We spend an enormous amount of energy in making sure that our coir products do not harm the environment in anyway.

In the manufacturing of coir products, we make certain that all activities are carried out with minimal impact towards the environment. Such measures ensure that CoirGreen™ is conscious about its products and operations and reaffirm that the environment is indeed the lifeblood of the company. CoirGreen™ - Environmentally Friendly!

Visit us on www.coirgreen.com or follow us on facebook www.facebook.com/CoirProducts