Coco husk

Coconut husks are the rough exterior shells of the coconut. The husk of a coconut comprises 30 per cent coconut fibers and 70 per cent flesh. Those are separated from one another, after which traditional products, such as mats and brushes, are made from the fibers. The flesh contains a significant amount of lignin, a substance that is found in ligneous cell walls.

Coir is the name given to the fibrous material that constitutes the thick mesomorphs (middle layer) of the coconut fruit (Cocos nucifera). The husk of the coconut contains approximately 75 per cent fiber and 25 per cent fine material, the so-called 'coir peat'.

When the coconut husks are being processed, the coco dust is separated from the fiber. The long fibers of coir extracted from the coconut husk are used in the manufacture of industrial products, for example mats or ropes. Traditionally the dust and small fibers were left behind and accumulated as a waste product.