I purchased my first coconut this past week.   After the smashing this poor coconut had to endure from my hammer, I started to wonder what happened to all of the coconut shells the commercial coconut companies would use.  I would think that the coconut waste can be used for hardwood floors in the same way that cork or bamboo is used.   Or maybe it can even be used as artwork or cabinetry.  I am about to find out what types of products are out there made out of Coconut shells.

1.  Wikipedia states that shells can be used for fuel and are a good source of charcoal. Shirt buttons can also be crafted from the shells of coconut.  Musical instruments can also be made from coconut shells.

2.  Wikipedia also stated that the trunk can be used to make hardwoods.  Palmwood comes from the trunk, and is increasingly being used as an ecologically-sound substitute for endangered hardwoods.  It can also be used in furniture and construction.

3.  Coir-which is the fiber taken from the coconut husk is used in many applications; from the manufacture of car seats, it can be used as mulch and an environmentally friendly alternative to peat.

4.  The hard part of the shell can be made into bowls, spoons, ladles, hookah pipes, salad servers and rubber latex collecting cups. They are also carved to make decorative objects such as picture frames.

5.  There are several ways to make artwork from coconuts.  Hand painted scenes from Hawaii, Coconut Sculptures, Earrings and all of these things are good examples of a very crafty artist.

This guy is very creative by using the husk fibers to make a very environmentally friendly netting that anchors the soil on sloping land as well as river banks, protecting against erosion.  This is doubly green by reusing something that would otherwise be waste, and turning it into something good for the environment.  It may be a creative home for this fella.  It can be turned in to ethanol.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any information about what companies, who prepared coconut for sale, do with their coconut waste.  If you have any resources or insight on what they do with this, please let us know in the comment section below.