By Lorrin Windahl.

Every now and then a new material comes along that I get a little excited about and try to imagine what product I could use it on. Such is the case with CocoForm, a new material made from coconut fibres from Enkev.

Enkev is a manufacturer of natural fibre materials. They use natural materials such as bamboo, alpaca wool, silk, horse hair and sisal just to name a few. Their latest addition is the use of coconut fibres, mixed with natural latex, to produce a material that can be formed and used as a sustainable packaging alternative.

The coconut fibre, known as coir, is extremely tough and surprisingly elastic. These characteristics make it ideal for product packaging. And the fibres are a by-product of the food industry who only care for the ‘meat’ inside the shell.  So Enkev are utilising a waste material and giving it new life.

The material is produced in sheet form and then firmly pressed into the desired shape. The pressing process helps to make a tight, smooth finish suitable for premium packaging. I love that the look and feel still resemble the coconut. There’s no denying what it is made from.

The mind boggles as to what this could be used for. To kick-start your imagination here are some examples: