Coconut Bowls

Packaging

Coconut Bowls uses minimal, plastic-free packaging designed for reuse or easy recycling. Orders ship in recyclable cardboard boxes or mailers with post-consumer recycled content, and void fill/wrap is compostable paper. All packaging paper is FSC-certified and printed with plant-based soy inks instead of toxic ink, through a partnership with sustainable printer No Issue. This means no petroleum-based dyes or laminates.

Material Sustainability

The coconut shells used for bowls and cups are an agricultural waste byproduct (from the coconut water/oil industry) that would otherwise be burned, emitting CO2 and methane. By reclaiming and upcycling these shells, the brand not only avoids the need for virgin resources but also mitigates pollution from open burning. The coconut shells are biodegradable and compostable at end-of-life, returning to the earth harmlessly. The coconut oil finish is entirely natural and food-safe, meaning no synthetic coatings.

The wooden cutlery likewise uses renewable, upcycled wood. Coconut Bowls reports that its artisans craft spoons and forks from “discarded furniture offcuts,” ensuring wood scraps are given a second life. This practice exemplifies waste minimization and thoughtful sourcing. Coconut palm wood (or similar tropical hardwood offcuts) is a non-plastic, biodegradable material and sourced from existing forestry waste rather than logging new trees. Bamboo straws are another highlight: bamboo is one of the most renewable materials, growing rapidly without pesticides, and the straws are compostable.

Energy Use and Footprint

Since mid-2019, the brand has been offsetting all carbon emissions from product shipping and delivery. Through its partnership with the non-profit Cool Effect, Coconut Bowls purchases carbon credits to offset 100% of shipping emissions. In terms of manufacturing energy, Coconut Bowls’ production is relatively low-tech and artisan-based. Crafting the bowls involves cutting, sanding, and polishing by hand or simple machinery, which uses minimal electricity compared to industrial processes. 

When it comes to renewable energy and emissions transparency, there is limited information. The brand has not published a detailed carbon or sustainability report quantifying its total emissions. There’s no mention of on-site renewable energy (such as solar panels on facilities) or targets for reducing operational emissions beyond shipping. However, Coconut Bowls’ choice of materials inherently lowers its carbon footprint.

Waste Management

The brand literally emerged as a solution to waste, by taking coconut shells that were being trashed and burned and transforming them into useful bowls. This upcycling of an abundant waste stream (billions of coconut shells annually) is a direct form of waste mitigation: every Coconut Bowl is one less shell in a landfill or fire pit. To date the company has reclaimed millions of coconut shells that would otherwise contribute to pollution. This approach exemplifies circularity: a former waste product becomes a durable good, delaying its disposal by years.

There is no sign of hazardous waste generation, since no chemical treatments are used. The brand’s focus on handmade, natural products means it avoids the toxic manufacturing waste associated with plastics, resins, or synthetic fibers. Additionally, Coconut Bowls designs products to be durable and reusable.

Business Model

Coconut Bowls’ business model is rooted in slow, sustainable consumption rather than fast-paced, trend-driven sales. The brand’s product line is relatively focused and evergreen: the core offerings (coconut shell bowls, wooden cutlery, bamboo straws, cups) are classic items that have remained consistent since the company’s founding in 2016. These products are not subject to seasonal fashion cycles or rapid obsolescence.

Coconut Bowls’ products are inherently non-toxic and food-safe due to the use of natural, untreated materials and avoidance of harmful chemicals. The primary materials (coconut shell, coconut oil, wood, bamboo, and plant waxes) contain no synthetic additives that could leach toxins. Each coconut bowl is literally a cleaned and polished coconut shell, which is naturally food-safe and BPA-free (coconuts don’t contain the industrial chemicals found in plastics). The brand confirms that the bowls are “completely natural, BPA and toxin-free, synthetic-free, [and] plastic-free”. The only finish applied is organic coconut oil, which is an edible oil.

The company sources its coconut shells and crafts its products via workshops in Indonesia and Vietnam, and it has taken steps to ensure those workers and suppliers are treated and compensated justly. According to a behind-the-scenes account, the artisans in the Vietnam workshop (a family-run enterprise) are paid over double the Fair Trade standard wage. Paying “double Fair Trade” is significant; it suggests the workers earn far more than the typical fair trade premium, improving their quality of life and economic security.

Animal welfare is inherently well-addressed by Coconut Bowls’ choice of materials and ethos, as the brand’s entire product range is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. 

Coconut Bowls has woven social and environmental community engagement into its brand DNA, leveraging its success to give back and educate. From the outset, “giving back is at the core” of Coconut Bowls’ purpose, and this is reflected in several long-term initiatives and partnerships that benefit communities and the planet. Most prominently, Coconut Bowls is a certified 1% for the Planet member, committing 1% of all revenue to environmental nonprofits annually.