Publication

Abstract : Recent years have witnessed a surge in demand for sustainable infrastructure materials, prompting increased scrutiny of natural fiber-based geotextiles as alternatives to synthetic counterparts. This study evaluates the environmental performance of coir geotextiles, derived from coconut husk fibers, through a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) using SimaPro v. 9.3.03, with inventory data sourced from Ecoinvent 3.7.1 and primary data from coir manufacturing facilities in India. The objective is to quantify the environmental impacts of 1 kg of woven coir geotextile (700 g/m 2 density) and compare it with synthetic geotextiles, focusing on 18 environmental impact categories. Results indicate that the manufacturing phase, particularly weaving, dominates environmental impacts, contributing ≈ 75% of global warming (GW) (1.17E−01 kg CO2 eq out of 1.64E kg CO2 eq), driven by fossil fuel-based electricity. Sensitivity analysis shows ±5% electricity variation significantly affects fossil resource scarcity and GW. Scenario analysis reveals renewable energy, especially hydropower, reduces impacts by 10%–50%. A comparative analysis of the three largest copra-producing countries reveals distinct environmental impact profiles: Indonesia experiences higher impacts primarily due to resource-intensive coconut cultivation; India’s footprint is driven by its manufacturing processes; while the Philippines shows a more balanced profile, benefiting from the use of renewable energy. Compared to synthetic geotextiles, coir exhibits lower GW ( ≈ 34%–40% reduction) and toxicity burdens, largely due to its biodegradability, which eliminates energy-intensive disposal. These findings align coir geotextiles with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 9, 12, and 13, underscoring their potential as eco-friendly materials for erosion control and slope stabilization in tropical regions.