Coconuts could save 200 million trees a year

A Dutch company is leading the way for saving wood and the environment thanks to their new innovation of sustainable coconut husk-based pallets that could save 200 million trees a year from being felled.

This innovative company, CocoPallet, is leading in the industry of wood alternatives and sources huge amounts of coconut to produce environmentally-friendly and durable products.

Michiel Vos is a partner and founder of CocoPallet. He is a serial entrepreneur specialised in the circular economy and bio-based products. Making impossible things possible is a skill he learned during his time in the army. He is the creative force behind the CocoPallet project and has a deep knowledge of coconuts.

Contrary to popular belief, coconuts are a highly versatile fruit which are used in countries around the world for a variety of things. It’s not uncommon for the husks of the fruit, however, to end up discarded and polluting areas instead of being used.

Cocopallet has developed a way to fight this unnecessary waste while simultaneously providing an alternative to wood by using these very same coconut husks to create durable products.

The Dutch start-up produces biologically-processed transportation pallets from coconut husks. Not only are these 100% organic, greener, cheaper, and more compact than wood or plastic pallets, but they are also indirectly preventing the felling of around 200 million trees a year in the Netherlands.

Vos has improvised on technology originally developed by Wageningen University researchers to further this amazing product.

The company bases their production off an ancient Indonesian technique that came to western scientists’ attention when an Indonesian man presented a coconut pallet prototype to a Wageningen University scientist years ago.

The technique involves using shredded coconut husks processed in steam, and was modernised after almost being lost forever.

Currently, CocoPallets has closed their test plant and are in the process of fundraising and finding local partners for the building of a series of CocoPallet manufacturing plants. The company plans to deliver high volumes of coconut pallets by the end of 2020.