“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

 

Every year, a  great number of coconuts are being harvested worldwide. After harvesting, the shells are either burned, thrown in the ocean or piled up contributing to billion kilos of waste. And waste is a huge problem that causes serious environmental impact. 

But many are in pursuit of finding solutions, one is Michiel Vos of CocoPallet!

In today’s episode of Sustainable, we talk about coconuts and finding your calling and purpose to make an impact with Michiel.

Michiel Vos is the founder and Chief Technology Officer of CocoPallet. He’s a serial entrepreneur who specializes in the Circular Economy and Bio-Based products. He and his team found a creative and innovative solution to utilize the waste from coconuts and turn it into biodegradable pallets. 

He shares how he came up with the idea of using coconut husk as the main material in making Coco pallets and how it helps in lessening waste and helping local coconut farmers. He also talks about how making an impact starts with yourself. Every action is important and has an equivalent impact. If you want to be a part of the solution to a more sustainable world, you need to take responsibility for every action you take and decisions you make.

 

In this episode, Michiel talks about: 

 

• How he came up with the idea of using coco pallets as an alternative to timber pallet
• The circular economy and making products out of waste streams
• Finding your purpose to create sustainability efforts
• Scaling products to drive down production cost
• Identifying problems that are worth solving
• Taking responsibility for your actions, whether big or small
• Advice to everyone who wants to make a difference
• Designing a truly circular business model
• The greatest joys of being entrepreneurial
• Spark, Idea, Awareness, Decisions, and Execution
• The difference between power and influence
• How reading books can help us solve problems and understand our surroundings better
• Effective teamwork and other things we can learn from the military
• Business as a tool for creating sustainability
• Finding your calling and healing our planet with the right decisions

 

Listen to yourself. What is my task? Why am I here? What's my mission on this planet? And then start researching and doing things. Whether it's small or big, take responsibility. We came here into this planet with a reason. Find your purpose and start working on it.

 

Connect with Michiel:

• LinkedIn 
• CocoPallet

 

Also Mentioned:

• David Goggins
• Brexit
• Art of War
• Machiavelli
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Edmund Burke

 

If you enjoyed this, check out episode 143: Finding New Uses for Plastic Waste with Caleb Rick, CEO EcoGlobal