Converting human solid waste into charcoal

A company in Kenya turns human solid waste into special briquettes to sell to the poor.

Human solid waste is converted into fuel for daily life. Video: Reuters.

Human solid waste is the main raw material for making charcoal briquettes, a fuel for cooking and heating for the poor in Nakuru city inKenya's Rift Valley,ReutersAugust 7 news.

Che environmentalist of the city movedsolid waste collected from septic tanks of householdsinto a drying area before being carbonized in a kiln with sawdust at 300 degrees Celsius. Molasses is added as a binder to form the mixture into spheres. These spheres are dried into briquettes, which are sold for $0.50 per kilogram.

“You can remove all the volatile elements, harmful gases and make sure the briquettes don’t smell,” said John Irungu, plant manager."Broken charcoal has no smell, burns well and lasts a long time, helping food cook quickly," said Grace Waka, a food vendor.

In addition to providing fuel, the project aims to protect the environment and improve sanitation, especially in poor areas of the city.

According to VNE