Retting to Mechanization: Comparative Environmental Burdens of Coir Processing in Kerala

This article examines the historical transition of Kerala’s coir industry from traditional retting practices to mechanized production, highlighting the shifting burdens on ecosystems and workers. Retting once imposed severe localized pollution on aquatic systems, with high biochemical oxygen demand and phenolic loading creating anoxic conditions, while mechanization reduced reliance on water bodies but introduced energy intensity, synthetic effluents, and hazardous occupational exposures. Field data suggest that, to extract fibre in a modern fashion, it currently requires an average of 14.9 MJ kg⁻¹ fibre and results in about 4.3 kg CO₂e per unit output of coir which makes the industry one with among the higher carbon intensities when comparing natural fibres. Utilizing field data on water quality, energy consumption, chemistry of the effluent and health condition of workers, the study establishes that environmental demands were not dissolved but re-ordered across areas. Effluent measurement has highlighted that dyeing and bleaching streams are being released with COD and colour values many times the legal standard, and occupational measurements indicate high levels of dust and noise above permissible thresholds. Comparative perspectives place Kerala’s experience in broader pan-Asian arcs where industrial transitions have replicated new residues of ecological and social vulnerability in fibre-processing economies. The analysis underscores that addressing sector-specific pollutants is insufficient without systemic governance reforms, including improved effluent treatment, renewable energy adoption, and stronger workplace safety standards. By bridging history, environmental sociology and labour studies, the article contributes to broader debates on social change and ecological sustainability in Asia, demonstrating that mechanization has mitigated certain visible burdens while generating new and less visible environmental and health risks.