Coir, Sustainability and Me.
At Harriet’s Plants, I believe businesses have a responsibility to be transparent so that you as a consumer know what your hard-earned money is supporting. In this series on sustainability, I am putting each area of my business, Harriet’s Plants, under the microscope and sharing my findings openly. I am always looking at more ways to ensure my business is as sustainable as possible so all feedback is welcome. Let’s start a discussion and learn together so we can build a better future. This week I want to start with Coir.
Nearly all plants sold in Harriet’s plants are sold in Coir pots. Coir is a waste product of the coconut industry. It comes from the fibrous coconut husks inside of coconut shells hence why it is commonly the name coco coir. It is traditionally found in the lining of hanging baskets but can also be made into ropes, mats, brushes and even mattresses. Coco coir is also an organic compound that adds to the absorbency, water retention and drainage of potting soil. It is extremely durable and rot resistant making it an excellent material to use in producing products with plenty of exposure to water. This makes it great for plant pots as it retains the water and continues to support the plant after watering.
The first and foremost reason to choose coir is that it is a renewable resource. Coir, as a byproduct of the coconut harvest, is entirely sustainable, if chosen well. Coconut trees produce a new crop annually. Historically, coir was commonly thrown into the landfill where it could take decades even centuries to break down, now it has a new purpose in the horticultural industry. Once the coconut is harvested, the coir fibres are separated, washed, sterilised, strained and graded. This is where you can start finding the unsustainable side of the coir industry. Here you need to start questioning the environmental and human impact of coir.
The coir pots supplied to Harriet’s Plants are from a small company based in Sri Lanka (where the majority of coir is harvested). As a company they go to great lengths to oversee the entire process that leads to the manufacture of the coir pots and other coir products. The first stage of the process is the production of coir sheets which then go to a factory to be made into pots. The raw material once harvested is made into sheets by cottage industry workers, which is mainly women. By involving the cottage industry, the company seeks to help uplift these local/rural economies by paying the workforce a fair wage and giving them the relevant protection. Working with coir is dusty so all workers at all stages of the process wear masks. There is a lot of information out there about the negative human cost of coir so it was important for me to work with a supplier that took this role in the community seriously. Through the CSR programmes of the coir companies based in Sri Lanka, my coir supplier for Harriet’s Plants helps out rural communities. Since the devastating 2004 tsunami, it was important to support under-privileged children who had been deeply affected by the natural disaster. My supplier also supports the children’s charity Chestnut Tree House, on a monthly basis, as much as possible. By supporting me, you are also supporting a chain of businesses that aim to do better in the world.
Finally, many express concern about the environmental impact of Coir. Part of the processing of coir is the water treatment which can affect local waterways. It was important to me that my supplier used no chemicals to ensure no waterways are affected. Coir is a natural product and to hold the coir pots together, a natural latex is used. Through my research I am aware that waterways do have an impact if you are producing treated/buffer coco peat, but I have been assured that this is something my supplier doesn’t do. My supplier is also working on getting fair trade certified and aspires to become a carbon neutral company in the near future, which I will be closely monitoring and will update you when this has been achieved.
As a natural product, the coir pots will need to be replaced regularly as they degrade. I recommend when re potting to re-use your coir pots as ready made hanging basket liners or break it up and mix with your compost. This is a practice I have started to do personally and I am introducing into the greenhouse. Coir is a fabulous alternative to peat because of its natural water retention. This means there is no waste after purchase either. Happy Planting.
This is part of a series of blog posts that are looking into the sustainability of each area of my business. I aim to be as transparent as possible and it is important to me that I remain a sustainable business. If you have any questions or recommendations please get in touch. Next in the series we will focus on pesticides and biocontrol.
STAY TUNED
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