Coconuts fixing the world

11/26/24 • 23 min

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We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.

But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems.

In Sierra Leone, a personal tragedy was the catalyst for young entrepreneur Alhaji Siraj Bah to start a business which takes the coconut husk and turns it into an alternative to charcoal - which is good for the forests and could potentially save lives too.

And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic.

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Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Eric Mugaju Producer: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls

(Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)

We eat millions of tonnes of coconuts every year - with the dense white flesh of the fruit making a tasty snack and the juice a refreshing drink.

But the inedible husk and shell go to waste – and it’s this part that innovators and entrepreneurs around the world are now putting to work to solve a whole host of problems.

And we hear about the start-up using coconut to keep fish, fruit and vegetables cool for longer without using any plastic.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Eric Mugaju Producer: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls

(Photo: Farmers in Teluk Payo village, south Sumatra are peeling the skin of coconuts to be turned into copra or charcoal, 13 July, 2022. Credit: Sigit Prasetya/Getty Images)

Previous Episode

Sorting extreme waste

We rely on space for our communications, weather monitoring and security. Yet rising levels of space junk increase the risk of collisions, putting these things at risk.

This week we are heading to a space lab in the UK to meet the scientists building a special waste collector that will clean up defunct satellites. We’ll also be heading to the Himalayas to see how an innovative project is training sherpas in Nepal to clear trash off the mountains using drones.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Voiceovers: Diwakar Pyakurel at BBC Nepali, Hikmat Khadka Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Myra Anubi and Anna Nash from Astroscale, BBC)

Next Episode

Cleaning up India's streets

The world produces about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. A lot of this waste, such as multi-layered plastic packaging and cigarette butts, is hard to recycle. Instead, it fills up landfills and contaminates the environment.

We travel to the Indian city of Pune where eco-social company Recharkha upcycles plastic packaging waste into contemporary products like tote bags, lampshades and table mats. It relies on village women’s handicraft using traditional spinning wheels or charkhas, simultaneously helping tackle rural unemployment.

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Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Sound mix: Andrew Mills/Ardila Syakriah Editor: Jon Bithrey

(Image: Women who work at the Recharka project, Recharka)