Coconut beverage maker Kokomio announced that it will process husks from its Mexico-grown coconuts into shipping materials for the transportation of the brand’s coconut beverage. The new initiative is expected to be in place by late spring 2021 in Kokomio’s Mexico City plant. The company says that this initiative moves it forward in its effort to develop products that use 100% of the coconut with zero waste.
Kokomio says its new manufacturing process involves using the coconut husks to produce a proprietary insulation that it says is both superior and highly sustainable. With this new material, the brand secures improved insulation for its perishable product. Kokomio will use the new materials to ship its entire product line, which includes coconut beverage varieties using cold brew coffee, pineapple and cacao as well as an original flavor. Additional innovations, which the company says will move the brand toward its goal of utilizing 100% of the coconut, are currently being explored.
“From the beginning, we saw a need for continued support and economic opportunities for the coconut growers in Guerrero, so creating a pure organic coconut beverage, like the ones I enjoyed in Acapulco in my childhood, seemed to be the right choice,” says Alan Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Kokomio. “We also discovered that consumers in the U.S. are thirsty for a fresh, real coconut beverage, with less natural sugar — made closer to home from Mexico. But they’re also highly interested in supporting products that are developed from a population with humanely treated animals and workers. We’ve been able to accomplish that with Kokomio. Our coconut beverage is made from Guerrero coconuts, and not from Thai coconuts. Thai sourced coconuts account for 90% of the coconut beverages made available in the U.S. today.”