Youth Ventures into Sugarcane Wastes Recycling in Kenya
Published: 22 March 2018
Eco2librium member in the process of making the briquette
The Kenya National Discourse Forum (KNDF) affiliated youth group's company, Eco2librium, based in Kakamega is using sugarcane leftovers to produce charcoal for domestic use as an initiative to save Kakamega Forest from destruction.
Recycling sugarcane waste started two years ago where the company managed to produce over 800 bags of charcoal briquettes per month.
The Company’s Director Christopher Amutabi, says that charcoal made from sugarcane produces less ash and dust and burns three to four times longer than the conventional wood charcoal.
Currently, they source raw materials (sugarcane waste) from sugarcane millers located in Kakamega County and start with drying it, with up to 60 per cent of moisture reduction before carbonizing it to produce briquettes.
Mr Amutabi notes that plans are underway to put up a factory next year that will produce approximately 30,000 tonnes of charcoal briquettes a month.
According to available records, millers in Kakamega generate over 1.55 million tonnes sugarcane bagasse every year but only 25 per cent of it is economically utilized for generation of heat for internal use.
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