Nothing is left to go waste after consuming coconut water
and its fruit as Ghanaian companies have found a way in turning the hard husk
of coconut into usable materials and artefacts.
Coconut fibre mats, coconut fibre board, coconut fibre seedling pots, coconut
fibre dish scrub pad, coconut fibre cold pressed bicycle seat, based shoe inner
sole pads, foam mattress, packaging container, egg carrier, automobile seat
lining, hollow blocks and corrugated roofing sheet are the few products made
out of the processed coconut husk.
While husks are often discarded, it has now become raw material for companies
such as Eco-fiber AgroSystems, Fiber Wealth and other companies in the
production of useful products. The challenge faced by Ghana with regards to the
proper disposal of coconut husk is now a thing of the past.
Also known as coir, the history of using coconut husks to manufacture a variety
of natural bio-products goes back thousands of years. Today, it’s progressing
hand-in-hand with an inclusive model of international development centred on
the sustainable local market and business development, job creation and the
opening up of new opportunities that could raise the living standards of
millions of families living in the tropics.
Danida Alumni Network with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Denmark (MFA) and Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) organized a stakeholder forum
in Accra on opportunities for managing coconut residue in Accra and Tema.
The discussions were centred on how coconut waste as a resource could be turned
into a variable venture with key participates being entrepreneurs, coconut
sellers and other governmental bodies such as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly
(AMA).
Achilles Ali, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eco-fiber AgroSystems
said Ghana has the capacity to produce several other products with coconut husk
but lacks funding and the capacity in terms of equipment to do more than they
could with the over 30,000 tonnes of coconut that is consumed in a day.
He, therefore, wants government to help the industry with funding as
sustainable jobs are guaranteed. Also, local authorities like A.M.A should also
assist them in the collection of the coconut husk from in and around the city.
Starrfm
