Fruit and its peel can be used in various ways. Whether it’s electricity from oranges or polishing shoes with bananas.
Now, inspired by a university research team, a Dutch startup has started manufacturing fireproof palettes from coconut husks.
First the company buys the husks, which would otherwise be discarded, from farmers in Asia. Next, the husks are ground into powder and pressed into pallets using heat and high pressure.
Stronger and more resistant than their wooden counterparts, the new pallets do not require chemical treatment.
What’s more, they are 100% biodegradable and can be shredded or recycled after use. The process provides an additional income stream for coconut farmers and helps to counter global deforestation.
Progress in a (coco)nutshell.
