[Do not publish] Waste Sawdust to Clean Briquettes
Processing sawdust from sawmills into valuable, clean-burning briquettes
The initiative processes waste sawdust from lumber mills into high-quality fuel briquettes, thereby reducing pollution levels and generating revenue for the local community. The Lagos Oko Baba mills produce large quantities of sawdust that in the past were incinerated. The initiative transforms this waste into a high-value, clean-burning marketable product. Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) trains local sawmillers’ cooperatives to collect sawdust and convert it into various consumer products, primarily fuel briquettes. This product provides an alternative to existing fuels (such as fuel wood and charcoal) which is both higher quality and lower cost. There is significant potential to scale up the initiative as about one third of the log input of the more than 2,000 sawmills in the country currently ends up as incinerated waste.
Eco-Inclusive Impacts
The initiative transforms sawdust waste into a high-value, clean-burning marketable product, reduces pollution levels and generates revenue for the local community.
- Training >43 sawmill workers, providing employment opportunities for the local community.
- Reducing the amount of incinerated sawdust helps mitigate climate change and improves public health.
- Creating a positive economic impact by using the local workforce and locally produced machinery.
- Generating additional revenue by selling previously incinerated waste.
Partners
Local non-government organisations and a sawmillers’ association introduced the recycling of waste sawdust into briquettes as a cheap and clean alternative fuel for stoves, They also provide technical assistance and micro-finance to entrepreneurs engaged in briquette production.
Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) trains sawmillers’ cooperatives to collect sawdust and convert it into various consumer products
Lagos Mainland Sawmillers’ Association (LMSA) played a pivotal role in in-kind support in the project by providing suitable land for building the plant.
Friends of the Environment (FOTE) helped mobilise women to use briquettes as an alternative to charcoal.