The Hindu : Kerala News : A versatile fibre from coconut

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 03, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

A versatile fibre from coconut

An array of coir products are on display at an exhibition

ECO-FRIENDLY: Innovative products are on display at an exhibition organised by the Coir Board in Kochi. Photo: Vipinchandran

An exhibition organised by the Coir Board at Marine Drive in the city presents an array of products made from the coconut fibre. The eco-friendly products are testimony to the innovation being carried out by various institutions. The products range from mats to reinforced doors. There are items for domestic purpose as well as for commercial use.

Among the novel products are the coir composite structures made by the Coir Composites Development and Training Centre, Bangalore. The products on display include composite doors that have been fabricated for various purposes. These could be used as substitutes for the wooden or plywood doors. The thicker versions known as GRP Sandwich Composite doors look like wooden doors. These could be used as alternatives to the conventional doors, according to the Development Centre personnel.

There are also roofing sheets fabricated from coir fibre.

Some of the innovative products on display include trays ideal for serving tea and snacks, fibre baskets, coco pots and plant climbers for the garden. Coco pots are biodegradable pots made of coir fibre and latex. The porous nature of the pots will facilitate smooth growth of seedlings or plants. The fibre baskets are ideal for hanging plants.

The products developed by Central Coir Research Institute, Kalavoor and Central Institute of Coir Technology, Bangalore, are also on display.

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

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