Below you can learn more about coir including where it grows, how coir is produced and processed, the impact on the environment and a general history of coir.
Structure
Habitat
Varieties
Production
Processing Methods
Applications
Environmental Impact
History
Natural Structure - Coir
Coir is the rich, coarse fibre extracted from the husk of the coconut palm. Water-resistant with natural shock-absorbing qualities, coir fibre protects the coconut seed from the elements. As the fibres mature they harden, making them stronger but slightly less flexible.
Habitat
The coconut palm is indigenous to the tropics and favours warm, humid climates with plenty of sunlight and a reliable water supply. Such conditions are widespread along the tropical coastlines of West Africa, Indonesia and South America.
Coir Varieties
Primarily, there are two main types of coir fibre that are distinguished by their age when harvested. white coir fibre, from immature husks is smoother and finer than the more mature brown coir fibre, whose age gives it added strength and its familiar hue.
Coir Production
India and Sri Lanka account for around 90% of the 250,000 tons of coir fibre produced globally each year with around half being consumed in domestic markets. Coir prices also continue to play an important role in the economic prosperity of a number of countries throughout developing world.
Coir Processing
Methods for extracting coir fibre vary depending on the type of fibre processed. White coir can be obtained using traditional retting methods of soaking and teasing out the loosened fibres before drying.
Brown coir, however is too coarse for such a subtle approach and instead is procured by wet-milling that sifts and separates the fibres in to different lengths before being washed and dried. Another obvious difference in their preparation is that brown coir is often soaked for longer to produce gains in its suppleness and elasticity.
Applications
Coir's strength and coarse texture is appreciated in a number of practical applications including brushes, sacks and hard-wearing coir rugs where the quality of coir fibre is often blended with other natural fibres.
Environmental Impact
Though coir fibre only accounts for around a third of coconut pulp, the remaining two thirds, including the pith can be recycled as soil treatments and mulch that are completely bio-degradable.
History of Coir
The origin of coir fibre usage is unclear as coconut palms have a wide-reaching and often contradictory history.
The most commonly held view is that coconuts originated around the Pacific and were distributed on ocean currents and established themselves on warm, tropical shores around the world. Evidence also suggests that coir was used in India as far back as 3000 years ago.
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