Sustainability in a nutshell – The Hindu

The bowl in this ladle was carved out of a coconut shell.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Kamarkat Srini. That name would likely spark a glint of recognition in the eyes, if the reader is from Chennai, salivates over traditional healthy sweets, is a card-carrying follower of veganism and pops in at organic food markets.

With a surfeit of traditional sweets on his food enterprise Kottivakkam-based Marabhu Suvai’s carte du jour, R. Srinivasan — to whom that sweet-sounding moniker (pun intended) belongs — offers something beyond the norm for the sweet tooth.

A ladle and a spoon shaped out of coconut shells and fitted out with wooden handles, at SN Crafts.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

And he also offers a novelty to the hand that wields cutlery — spoons and ladles finely crafted from coconut shells. This pursuit has in fact, put his sweets-making business in the shade — in the shade of coconut trees. His enterprise, SN Crafts makes spoons, ladles and customised teapots with coconut shells allied with handles made of teak and pine wood. Surveying these products, one is left in no doubt about which element has star billing: it is the humble coconut shell, with all the other elements smugly content playing a supportive role to it.

Coconut shell creations at SN Crafts
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

If the reader has not made the connection yet, Kamarkat candy, typically made from the rich, fragrant flesh of the coconut, led Srinivasan to appreciate everything associated with cocos nucifera, even what would qualify as chaff. The coconut shells left behind after the meat is grated for making Kamarkat and other coconut-based sweets, caught his fancy.

For nearly five years now, he has devoted himself to upcycling these shells, giving them a fresh start, a second career in kitchens and cafes; and also a place in homes. The coconuts are cherry-picked, with only mature, organic country-breed coconuts chosen for the candy, leaving the shells to be repurposed for his ladles and spoons. On the supply chain are farmers from Papanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore and Udumalpet in Tirupur, and at home, an organisation in Adyar with a sprawaling campus dotted with 200 coconut trees.

Srinivasan’s approach to sustainability, as exemplified by his enterprise, might hark back to the traditional homegrown wisdom of reusing and repurposing, but is driven by a fiercely modern sense of innovation.

Machinery used at SN Crafts to shape coconut shells.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Srinivasan’s father-in-law, a skilled carpenter, was instrumental in helping him create customised machinery to carve the shapes of the ladles and spoons, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. Kamarkat Srini and his business partner Nagarajan Mani took it a couple of notches higher: spending one year in further customisation of the machinery.

The challenges

For Srinivasan, the production process is efficient when all materials, which include wooden teak handles for the ladles, copper or aluminium rivet and wire brush are readily available.

For example, making 50 ladles in just half a day becomes possible when all the materials are sourced from wholesale traders in Parrys, particularly Kandaswamy Koil Street. He also sources some of the materials from Moore Market, which is a part of Chennai’s circular economy. When they receive large orders — such as the maximum of 300 ladles — they can make them in just eight hours if all the materials are at hand.

Srinivasan used to source coconut shells from Nagarajan Rao until the latter was operating a business named Farmcoop in Mandaveli. Nagarajan who turned his back on selling coconut-based discards for recycling and upcycling, sheds light on the challenges faced by such businesses:

“We started collecting coconut shells during COVID-19, but practical issues, pests and lack of storage space made it difficult. With 100 to 300 houses involved, we could not find land for collection. Plus, not everyone had coconut shells to offer.”

The lack of processing facilities in Chennai also hindered progress. “Without proper infrastructure, making the initiative sustainable became tough,” he adds.

Nagarajan Rao hopes to make a comeback to the coconut-based sustainability business: “The dream is still alive, but it requires the right resources to thrive.”