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Kahama. A youth organization in Kahama has discovered a creative approach to support Tanzania’s shift towards clean energy by manufacturing charcoal briquettes from leftover fruit peels and agricultural waste. The group, called Tamba, utilizes banana peels, sugarcane fibers, orange peels, and banana stalks to create an alternative form of charcoal, which is gaining popularity among households looking for cost-effective and eco-friendly cooking fuel.”We have been engaged in this for three years, but we still use simple tools, meaning it takes two to three days to complete one production cycle,” said the group’s founder, Tamba Yahya.”From one batch, we produce over 100 briquettes, which we sell for Sh10,000 per bucket,” he mentioned.He requested government assistance to obtain advanced machinery to enhance production efficiency.”If we had better equipment, we could increase our output and reach more households,” he added.Another member, Elisante Aniel, stated that the briquettes burn for extended periods without requiring frequent refueling, helping users save money and time.”We manually crush the waste, mix it with water, and shape it into briquettes. The process is challenging, but the outcome is rewarding,” he said.Users like Sophia Temba, a food vendor, claim that this innovation is reducing their expenses.”With regular charcoal, I need to refill two or three times, but with these briquettes, I can cook for three to four hours before adding more,” she explained.According to 2024 data, Tanzania consumed approximately 45,000 tonnes of alternative charcoal last year, with over 500,000 households using the fuel. However, nearly 85% of Tanzanians still rely on firewood and traditional charcoal for cooking.According to UN-Habitat, about 2.7 billion people worldwide lack proper waste collection services, leading to uncontrolled disposal. The agency reports that between 14 million and 20 million tonnes of waste are generated annually in Tanzania, primarily from major cities.Dar es Salaam alone accounts for about one percent of all waste produced in the country. Globally, between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste are generated each year, including textiles, packaging, electronics, plastics, and food, as reported by UN-Habitat. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).