The increasingly popular use of coconut charcoal briquette represents a form of solution to the current global issues regarding pollution, eco-friendly technology, and alternative energy. Utilizing coconut husks as an alternative fuel can reduce the dependency on fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. The growing awareness of global issues and the indispensable need for fuel in daily activities like cooking, industrial processes, and food heating make coconut shell charcoal briquette a promising solution.
Gain a deeper understanding of coconut shell charcoal by reading this article to the end.
What are Coconut Charcoal Briquette?
Coconut shell charcoal briquettes are a type of renewable energy because the raw material used can be produced by planting coconut trees. Currently, many tropical countries have abundant coconut production, such as Indonesia. Indonesia, being a tropical country, has plentiful coconut trees throughout its regions, leading to abundant coconut production.
Before the innovation of making charcoal from coconut husks, many coconut producers generated coconut husk waste. Accumulated coconut husk waste could pollute water and soil because of its non-biodegradable nature. Therefore, utilizing coconut husk waste can help reduce environmental pollution.
The production process of making coconut charcoal briquettes is also carried out carefully and environmentally friendly. Coconut charcoal producers employ traditional production methods, starting from finding high-quality coconuts, burning coconut husks in traditional kilns, cooling, and packaging. Hence, this type of charcoal is considered more environmentally friendly because the raw materials used are only coconut husks and tapioca flour as a binder. However, the burning process of coconut husks can create excessive pollution and gas emissions.
Weaknesses of Coconut Charcoal Innovation
Although coconut charcoal briquettes have abundant benefits and uses, there are several weaknesses associated with this type of charcoal. These include inconsistent burning process, slow heating process, generation of dust and particles, risk of contamination, and low acceptance in the market. Below are the weaknesses of coconut shell charcoal briquettes in production and usage in more detail.
Inconsistent Burning Process
Coconut shell charcoal briquettes are known for their high calorific value, but the burning process may not always be consistent. This inconsistency could result from variations in raw material composition, moisture during production, or improper combustion regulation. Inconsistent burning affects the quality of cooking or heating. This weakness might still be a consideration for society in fully replacing fossil fuels with coconut charcoal briquettes.
Slow Heating Process
Apart from the inconsistent burning process, coconut charcoal also has a slow heating process. Although coconut charcoal has a high calorific value, its combustion may require more time compared to other fuel types like gas or wood charcoal. This can pose a problem in situations where fast heating is needed. However, the slower heating process makes coconut charcoal more durable in usage, meaning users don’t need to change it frequently.
Generation of Dust and Particles in the Production Process
The production process of coconut charcoal briquettes through burning can generate dust and particles, especially when coconut powder is ground and molded into briquettes using tapioca flour as a binder. The dust and particles produced in coconut charcoal production not only pose cleanliness issues but also have the potential to cause air pollution if not managed properly. The dust and particles generated during the burning process can lead to excessive and hazardous gas emissions, affecting human respiratory health. Therefore, as coconut charcoal producers, it’s essential to manage dust and particles during the burning process effectively.
Risk of Contamination
There’s a possibility of contamination during the production process of coconut shell charcoal briquettes. This can occur if the production process is not conducted correctly, leading to the charcoal containing contaminants such as heavy metals or other chemicals present in the raw materials or additives used during production. Contamination of this charcoal type can pose health problems when used in cooking or heating, as the mixture of chemicals may enter the food, causing digestive and other health issues in humans.
Low Acceptance of Coconut Charcoal Briquettes
Although coconut charcoal has become increasingly popular internationally, there’s still a problem of low acceptance in the market. In some markets, coconut charcoal briquettes may still be relatively unknown or less favored compared to other traditional fuels like gas and wood charcoal. Wood charcoal, which is still frequently used by communities, poses significant risks to the environment due to continuous deforestation. Therefore, raising awareness about the use of coconut charcoal briquettes needs to be continually improved. This can be a challenge in expanding its usage and raising awareness among the public about the benefits it provides, whether for humans or the environment.
Despite the production and usage weaknesses of coconut charcoal briquettes, this charcoal type is an interesting and promising alternative to reduce the negative impacts of traditional fuel usage. Coconut charcoal briquettes produced from utilizing coconut waste and its potential to replace excessive fossil fuel usage.
Environmental Impact of Coconut Charcoal Briquettes Usage
The increasingly popular use of coconut charcoal briquettes by communities, despite having some weaknesses in the production process, can support reducing pressure on forests and natural ecosystems as it does not require tree felling for its production. Illegal logging is carried out to produce wood charcoal, which is a traditional charcoal. Furthermore, using coconut waste as the main raw material also helps reduce the amount of organic waste that can pollute the environment.
Functionally, coconut charcoal can create a cleaner environment, reduce illegal logging, turn waste into high-value products, and stimulate local economies. Therefore, it’s important for communities to start replacing wood charcoal with coconut charcoal briquettes as an alternative for cooking and heating.
High-Quality Coconut Charcoal
To prevent contamination during the production process due to the mixture of hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, it’s important to purchase coconut shell charcoal briquettes from suppliers that pay attention to the production process and produce high-quality charcoal. One of the best suppliers from Indonesia known for their high-quality products is Little Briquette. Little Briquette has gained trust internationally for its best-quality coconut charcoal. Contact Little Briquette through the information below to get the best quality.