Coir Pots

• find the oil
• transport the oil [hoping you don’t spill any ]
• refine the oil [ after building a refinery]
• separate for plastics production [using a few chemicals]
• produce plastic granules[using a few more chemicals]
• reconstitute granules
• mould tooling for pots
• convert plastic granules
• mould the pots [ added up the heat consumed so far ?]
• throw them away [ let's help fill up that waste site ]
• or we could recycle the plastic [ up in the air goes that CO2 again ]

They last about 12 months above ground before they go ‘hairy’, and biodegrade over several months when planted.

We say ‘ several’ as they are very natural products, with a lot of hand crafting about them.

All of our pots are made in southern Sri Lanka from a sort of village women’s co-operative. 
(Collection of the coconut husks is also quite a cottage industry for Sri Lankan ladies.)

Let me show you how every single pot is carefully shaped by hand, spread with natural latex, by hand, and lastly given a short back and sides - you’ve guessed it - by hand !

First the coir fibres are separated from the coconut husks.

Then the fibres are tossed in a ‘drum’ to separate the coirgranules from the fibres.

You can see these granules collecting underneath the drum.

These will be used to make our coir compost discs

Here’s a part of the factory.

The fibre is being formed into pot shapes by being pushed into various sizes of pot “moulds”.

A lifetime of poverty, then all that devastation, but they don’t ask for our aid ! 
They know they’re future, and they’re childrens, depends on them working, depends on trade.

It makes me so cross to hear people saying that we should stop trading overseas. 
I’ll put up with the emissions from scheduled ships if we can give developing countries a better future - and these lady’s families half the calories we consume !!!

Oh sorry, my rant has made me come over all peculiar, now where was I ?

Well next stop for the dummies are the latex ladies 
( no, not a Miss Whiplash - she’s for another sort of dummy !)

Then off go the pots to dry in the sun.

Each pot is carefully trimmed,inspected and packed.

Then off these pots go on their travels.

A journey which began in the warm earth of the Sri Lankan countryside, but which can end in enriching the soil of your garden.

And a journey which offers fair free trade, and an income for just a few of all those folk who are not quite as lucky as us . 
( In material things that is ! )