Company invests in technology to produce sustainable coconut shell charcoal

Part of its ‘GO GREEN’ initiative launched at the start of 2024, Jacobi Group is expanding investments in the sustainable production of coconut shell charcoal, launching research and development efforts on an improved proprietary charring process while also expanding reactivation facilities in Europe. The company said the ‘CleanTech’ technology will have environmental benefits and improve sustainability processes for its charcoal suppliers, thus improving the sustainability of the supply chain.

Activated carbon from coconut shell charcoal is commonly used in water purification and can be used to remove contaminants such as PFAS.

“We are finding more and more that customers’ commitment and understanding of the importance around environmental issues and sustainability are on the forefront of people’s minds when they make decisions on what type of media to use,” said Rae Marie Harber, Jacobi Group business development director of the Americas. “There is a noticeable shift in the industry to find new innovations that help serve the many different applications in the most sustainable way. It’s an exciting time to be in the business and will ultimately benefit all in the future.”

The effort is part of an initiative from Jacobi to develop tangible improvements in lowering global warming potential (GWP) throughout the business, thus minimizing environmental impact. Understanding the GWP of reactivated activated carbon in comparison to virgin activated carbon is drastically lower, investments in reactivation are another significant factor in the ‘GO GREEN’ initiative. Jacobi has vastly expanded its reactivation facilities in Europe, helping to make it easier for customers to send back spent media and recycle it, rather than simply using virgin carbon repeatedly.

Long term, Jacobi has a goal to become the most sustainable supplier of activated carbon and ion exchange resins, replacing out-sourced fossil-based products within 10 years as much as possible. Jacobi’s most sustainable products are now marked with a stamp, to signify to customers that this is the best choice for the environment and help them to make the most sustainable choice quickly and easily.