Charcoal maker to cut pollution

A NEWLY made charcoal machine has been introduced to help curb problems related to unemployment, environmental pollution and conservation in the country.

The Inventor of the machine, Mr Petro Mwamlima, said this at a capacity building training on Production of Charcoal and Biogas from waste issued to over 20 entrepreneurs from Bagamoyo District Council held at Ardhi University (ARU) in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.

Mr Mwamlima identified the machine as Peyam Screw Press (PSP) which is mainly used to produce charcoal briquettes, pointing out that it does not require electricity to carry out production.

“Considering the amount of waste produced every day waste management is becoming a critical problem in the country which requires immediate solutions...a factor that pushed me to come up with the machine,” said Mwamlima.

He pointed out that the raw materials to make the charcoal are farm produce including coffee husks, rice husks, saw dust, waste papers and falling leaves. He further observed that the charcoal could easily be made from a home setting for income generation and personal use.

“People should not underestimate the harm and wealth that waste can generate in the societies that we are living in...the charcoal can therefore creates jobs, reduce pollution as well as help conserve the environment,” he noted.

The Coordinator of the Land Administration Unit at ARU, Ms Agnes Mwasumbi, noted that the unit has received a funding of about 230,000 NOK which is equivalent to over 60m/- from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Ms Mwasumbi pointed out that part of the funding has gone to the community service programme and another part has been placed on the land laws awareness raising programme undertaken in Kisarawe and Mkuranga.

“As experts we have been touched by the waste problem. That is why we are implementing resource recovery from waste in Bagamoyo,” pointed out the coordinator.

Ardhi University Acting Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof Charles Kihampa, observed that the initiative to conduct the training is among the roles of the institution to reach the people through community services.

Prof Kihampa said it was time that the country shuns shelving the various researches conducted by experts and instead put the findings into practice for developmental purposes.

“The programme was earlier piloted into a small scale project but it’s currently full operational after one of our students had invented a machine to carry through the plan,”