Refillable Coconuts

In an age when there is a continuing demand for products which are environmentally friendly, any company that can come up with new and novel ways of preserving resources is bound to attract attention. Just such a company is Cocotechnix, which has recently launched its new range of refillable coconuts.

"It's something we've been working on for some time," says the company's head of research and development, Victor Foxtrot. "Nature is terribly wasteful and the coconut is a prime example of this. It's an ideal way of transporting milk, possibly even better than the Tetra Pak and certainly easier to open. But what do you do with the empty coconut husk once you're finished with it? Some folk manage to repurpose them as bird feeders, rudimental musical instruments or helmets for small monkeys, but these people are clearly cranks and need to be shunned by society. What we've managed to do is develop a coconut that is reusable, so once it's empty you can just take it back to the shop and get a refill."

And Cocotechnix's achievements do not end there. They have developed a refrigerated coconut that greatly extends the shelf life of the product plus a thermos version that can be used to keep hot milky drinks warm for up to eight hours. They're also about to launch a range of flavoured versions in various funky colours, aimed at the young adult market. The company had originally wanted to call them Cocopops, but there has been some wrangling over the name.

"We believe that we have opened up an exciting new market," says Mr Foxtrot. "And it doesn't end with the coconut. There are so many possibilities and we are currently developing a number of other exciting products. I don't want to speak out of turn, because there is still a lot of work to be done, but between you and me there's a very real possibility that a refillable banana is just around the corner."