India Turns Coconut Waste into Green Wealth and Livelihoods

RR Team

5 hours ago

India is converting a long-standing urban waste challenge into economic and environmental opportunity by recycling coconut waste into coir, compost, and bio-CNG. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), urban local bodies across the country are transforming coconut husks, shells, and wet waste into high-value products, generating livelihoods and promoting sustainability.

From Shell to Soil: Coastal Cities Lead the Way

Coconut waste, once a major contributor to landfill accumulation in tourist-heavy coastal cities, is now being converted into coir fibers for ropes and mats, and cocopeat for organic farming. Cities such as Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Chennai, Kochi, and Thiruvananthapuram have established Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to ensure 100% recycling. Religious hubs like Puri, Varanasi, and Tirupati process temple-generated coconut waste, ensuring that no shell is left behind.

Economic and Global Impact

India’s coconut sector has become a major contributor to both domestic livelihoods and exports. With production exceeding 21,000 million units in 2023–25, states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh supply nearly 90% of the nation’s coconuts. The global coconut coir market is valued at USD 1.45 billion (~₹12,000 crore), with India holding over 40% of production. Rising international demand for cocopeat in soilless farming, particularly in Europe and the US, is generating export growth of 10–15% annually.

Innovative City-Level Models

In Bhubaneswar, the Palsuni plant collects 5,000–6,000 coconuts daily from 189 temple vendors, producing over 48 metric tonnes of cocopeat compost and 7,500 kg of coir fibers monthly, generating ₹7–9 lakh in revenue. Kerala’s Kunnamkulam Green De-Fibering Unit converts coconut husks into odor-free compost, providing local farmers with income while creating green jobs. Chennai’s PPP units at Kodungaiyur and Perungudi have processed over 1.15 lakh metric tonnes of coconut waste since December 2021.

Indore’s integrated waste-to-wealth plant processes 20 tonnes per day into cocopeat for soil enhancement and coir fibers for commercial use, powering a 550 TPD bio-CNG plant and supporting local employment. Patna’s zero-cost model in Danapur diverts 10 TPD of coconut waste into coir, cocopeat, and organic compost, preventing landfill accumulation and generating value-added products.

Government Support and Employment Generation

Under SBM-U 2.0, the Centre provides 25–50% financial assistance for waste-processing units, while the Coir Udyami Yojana offers 40% subsidies for micro and small enterprises. Approximately 7.5 lakh people, 80% women, are employed in SHG-led units. With 15,000+ coconut processing units nationwide, cities are ensuring that 90% of coconut waste is diverted from landfills, fostering circular economy practices, sustainability, and rural-urban income generation.

From temple towns to tech hubs, India’s coconut waste management under SBM-U demonstrates how innovative policy, urban planning, and public-private partnerships can transform a waste problem into a resource-rich, environmentally sustainable, and economically rewarding opportunity.