From nature to you
The applications of CoirWood are endless
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Flooring
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Furniture
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Interior
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Insulation
About us
Coconut, commonly believed to be a nut is actually a kind of drupe. It grows abundantly in tropical climates and is extremely versatile. The fruit can be eaten, its water is a refreshing hot climate drink, its oil is used for cooking or in cosmetics and considered an excellent skin moisturiser, its outer cover is used to make mattress springs and ropes and now with CoirWood we have started to make boards with it. Usually, the inner meat of the coconut is used for eating for extracting oil leaving the husk as a by-product. This husk can often end up in large waste piles leading to leachates into the surrounding soil or getting burnt. Thus, it is strongly desirable to find applications for recycling them. This is where CoirWood comes in. With CoirWood we don’t have to make any new plantation. We don’t even have to use any extra labour to harvest the husk because it is already been done to harvest coconut. The coconut husk has been there for generations, and now it can provide us with a sustainable material to build and make products for the next generations.
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Sourcing
Harvesting coconuts is labour intensive. It first needs to be taken off the tree. This is usually achieved through farmers physically climbing up the trees and cutting off the branches with a hand-held implement. After this, the husk needs to be split from the coconut. This is also achieved through manual labourers who get paid around 5-7 dollars a day.
Through CoirWood, a by-product of coconut harvest that often ends up as waste can also be utilized. We will purchase the husk that would have otherwise ended up as waste from these plantations and upcycle them into high quality, durable, chemical binder-free wooden board substitutes. This will provide a higher income to the plantation workers and owners in addition to providing you with a more sustainable board.
Through our product, we increase the profits of coconut plantations. We want to ensure that a part of the profit goes back to the workers. We will do this in cooperation with the plantation owners. As the company grows, the plantations will benefit and most of all the workers and their family will benefit too.
Mission
CoirWood's mission is to provide high-quality sustainably sourced fiberboards manufactured with zero formaldehyde formulation.
S. Sachithanandha Sundaram
Co-founder
Coming from the region renowned for coconut production in Southern India and family that has been involved in coconut farming for generations now. As a Mechanical Engineer and with a passion for cleantech Entrepreneurship, I started to pursue my masters in Consultancy & Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. This is where I had the opportunity to explore the process involved in CoirWood and also meet my wonderful team members. Together now we are taking CoirWood to the global market to ensure a sustainable future.
“To enrich the planet and people with economic and environmental benefits through cleantech entrepreneurship"
Team
Mel Valies
Co-founder
During my bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering, I encountered many complex problems that challenged me to dive deep into the world of mechanics, aerodynamics, linear algebra and such. This helped me to build strong analytical skills and solve the engineering problems of all kinds. However, I didn't know much about the world. What was going on? Where can I use my skills to solve real problems? This all led to my current Master in Industrial Ecology where my fascination for the transition to a circular economy started. With CoirWood I want to use my engineering skills and knowledge obtained through my Master, to prove how technologies and circular business cases can positively impact our environments while boosting economies
“To prove how a closed-loop way of living can be integrated in current industry to better preserve mother nature and simultaneously improving our way of living and boosting the economy.”
Dr. Jan van Dam
Technical Advisor
dr. Jan van Dam is a leading Biomaterials scientist at Wageningen University.
More information concerning his work and publications can be found Here
Partners
Frequently asked questions
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What does CoirWood mean?CoirWood is 100% natural board made out of coconut-husk which is also known as coir
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So you ship from India, how is that sustainable?"Many people assume that the large distance covered by ships causes large carbon emissions. However, since large volume shipping is possible, emissions per unit weight transported is way less for shipping than road transport.
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Why is CoirWood better for the environment?As stated, CoirWood doesn’t require deforestation and production of chemical which both lead to an increment of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Furthermore, unused husk is left as waste which leads to environmental pollution as they are burnt or leak potassium when landfilled which leads to eutrophication. With CoirWood we are reducing the amount of husk waste by converting it to value.
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How does CoirWood performs compared to other engineered boards?CoirWood has far superior mechanical properties and environmental performance compared to MDF, OSB, Particleboard and bamboo.
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Why should I care about formaldehyde fumes?Research has shown that formaldehyde fumes can cause irritation to eyes, nose, throat and in extreme cases can also cause cancer. Follow this link for the research papers.
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Can we buy CoirWood boards now?Not yet, because we are still in the pilot phase and expecting commercial production from early 2022.
Contact us
CoirWood
Amalia Van Solmsstraat 122,
2595 TC - The Hague,
The Netherlands