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Coconuts fixing the world

How coconut husks are being used to prevent plastic waste and protect the forest.

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.

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

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

(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)

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23 minutes

Last on

Mon 9 Oct 2023 02:06GMT

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