Tackling greenhouse gas emissions – an urgent issue of our time

December 2014 began with world leaders and environmental experts from over 190 countries gathering in Lima, Peru, deliberating on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thereby addressing one of the most urgent needs of our time, climate change. 

A landmark event, the 20^th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) called on countries present at the occasion to set up national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Conference also set the foundation for a new climate action agreement which will be finalized in 2015 in Paris. The new climate action agreement will come into operation in 2020 setting limits to reduce overall global emissions that will keep the earth’s temperatures within a safe range. In addition, the Lima conference also highlighted the need to address deforestation to combat climate change, with countries pledging to plant 20 million hectares of trees.

The earth’s rising temperatures, most often brought about by the release of greenhouse gasses resulting from various activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, continue to pose a threat to people’s daily lives. It also hinders development and harms the environment around us. Not only that, climate change also poses a challenge to the future generations to survive on this planet.

We at CoirGreen are committed to protecting the environment not just for the current generation but also for the future of this world. With that at the heart of everything we do, the products we supply are natural, environmentally-friendly and 100% biodegradable. While ensuring high quality of the products, we spend a lot of time making sure our products or actions have minimum harm on the environment. We also promote sustainable lifestyles and practices.

At CoirGreen, we truly believe that protecting the environment is indeed an urgent need of our time, and we need to act now.

The Golden Fibre - CoirGreen™ Jute Products

Of the many products in the  CoirGreen™ portfolio, Jute Geotextiles and Hessian Cloths have a golden touch. Known as the golden fibre, jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is considered as the second most important vegetable fiber after cotton. The fibres are used to make cloths, curtains, carpets, rugs and a variety of other textiles.

Jute fibre is 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly. A hectare of jute plants consumes about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide and releases 11 tonnes of oxygen. Furthermore, cultivating jute in crop rotations enriches the fertility of the soil.

CoirGreen™ Jute Geotextiles are specially manufactured for the reinforcement and protection of riverbanks and embankments. They can also be used for vegetable consolidation, agro-mulching, land reclamation and for the construction of road pavements. Geotextiles made from jute are biodegradable, flexible, absorb moisture and drain well.

There are a number of advantages of using CoirGreen™ Jute Geotextiles,

●       CoirGreen™ Jute Geotextiles are less expensive than other varieties of geotextiles

●       They are eco-friendly and mixes well with the soil, causing no adverse impact on the environment.

●       CoirGreen™ Jute Geotextiles are easy to install and does not require skilled labour

●       They also have a greater moisture retaining capacity

Jute geotextiles are the most acclaimed natural fabrics that provide biotechnical solutions to exposed soil. They help in the quick growth of vegetation by coalescing the soil, increasing its permeability and by retaining the appropriate humidity.

CoirGreen™ also produces Jute Hessian cloths.  Hessian cloths are used extensively for various purposes, ranging from commodities packaging to home décor. Bags made from hessian cloths are used for the packing of tea, coffee, potatoes, rice etc.

CoirGreen™ Hessian cloths are ideal to make sacks for industrial purposes. The cloth’s breathability makes it suitable for carrying foodstuff as it is less prone to condensation than other material. This, in turn, reduces spoilage of the contents. Hessian cloths are also renowned for their durability. In fact, due to its durability, certain camouflage suits used in the military are made from hessian cloth.

CoirGreen™ manufactures all types of standard and non-standard Hessian cloths. These are made according to the specification of customers. 

For more details on our environmentally friendly jute products please visit  http://www.coirgreen.com or simply email us at info(AT)coirgreen.com

CoirGreen™ Coco Peat as a viable alternative to Peat Moss

For decades gardeners have recognized the benefits of adding peat moss to potting soil. Peat moss lightens the soil, allows air to enter and generally improves soil structure. However, these benefits come at a price.

Peat bogs are areas of great natural beauty, containing  plants and wildlife, some of which are unique to these environments. They are home to thousands of insects including butterflies, dragonflies and spiders. Nearly a thousand different flowering plants grow in these, including carnivorous plants such as the Great Sundew as well as mosses, fungi and lichens. Nevertheless, this environment is slowly being destroyed to satisfy the greed of man.

Wetland ecologists say that peat moss is being harvested at unsustainable rates. Over 10 million cubic yards of peat moss are harvested each year from bogs in Canada, plus another million or so from bogs in the northern United States. Peat moss comes from slow growing rotting plants and it typically takes 1000 years for a bog to add one yard to its depth. Destroying peat bogs contributes to global warming as well. Peat bogs cover just 3% of the world’s surface but they store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. Some ecologists say that “Destroying peat bogs is even more disastrous than destroying the Amazonian rainforest!”

The environmental costs of harvesting peat moss is huge. Fuel is needed to dig drainage ditches, harrow the peat, vacuum and then bale it. This adds up to a lot of greenhouse gasses in order to create an organic soil improver. Even the peat industry, while stating that peatlands can be managed at sustainable levels, acknowledge that alternatives to peat moss must be developed in order to meet environmental concerns of consumers.

CoirGreen™ coco peat is a viable alternative to peat moss. Unlike peat moss, coir is a waste product of the coconut harvest and is always available. In the past coir was left to accumulate in large piles. Nevertheless it did not take long for horticulturists to recognize the benefits of coir.

Apart from being an environmentally friendly product, CoirGreen™ coco peat has been proven to hold moisture well, wet more easily than peat, drain well, decompose more slowly and withstand compression better. Plus coir dust does not have the small sticks and possible seeds that peat has.

Peat Moss is an acidic substance which makes it difficult for plants to grow. CoirGreen™ coco peat, on the other hand, has a neutral pH level which facilitates healthy plant growth. The acidic nature of peat moss makes it possible for fungi and other plant-based diseases to take root  However, coconut coir is free of bacteria, plant disease, fungi, weeds, and pathogens and thus provides the same benefits of peat moss without damaging the environment.

The advantages of using CoirGreen™ Coco Peat can be summarized as below

●       100% natural, organic and biodegradable

●       An eco-friendly renewable resource

●       A perfect multi purpose growing medium

●       Has high aeration (air porosity)

●       Absorbs water easily but not too much

●       Ensures a strong and healthy root system

●       A very stable product that can be used for many years without decomposition affecting its physical make-up

For more details on our natural, environmentally friendly coir products, their usages and how CoirGreen™ work, please visit – http://www.coirgreen.com or simply email us at info(AT)coirgreen.com

CoirGreen joins millions across the world to mark Earth Day 2014

On March 29 this year, CoirGreen™ joined millions across the globe to mark EarthHour2014, encouraging our staff to turn off lights for one hour from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

Organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour invites individuals, communities and businesses from across the world to turn off any lights that are not essential for one hour on the last Saturday of March every year. Having grown into a large-scale movement since its inception in 2007, Earth Hour strives to remind people of their commitment towards the protection of the planet, while raising awareness about climate change.

With environmental protection at the heart of what we do, CoirGreen™ is committed to providing sustainable and environment-friendly solutions for the erosion control, horticultural and agricultural sectors. We spend an enormous amount of energy to ensure that all our activities are carried out with minimal impact on the environment. All our products are 100% natural and biodegradable and manufactured according to the highest industry standards.

CoirGreen™ ‘s ultimate goal is to be an ambassador for the environment not merely by providing environmentally-friendly products, but also by promoting sustainable lifestyles and practices. With this mind, we at CoirGreen™ will be marking World Environment Day in June 5, 2014, and we invite all our customers and readers to be a part of this event. Stay tuned for more details.

More details on CoirGreen™ visit www.coirgreen.com.

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