What if sawdust could help forests go further?
What we call waste might be the foundation of something new.
In Sri Lanka, sawdust from timber workshops is usually discarded or burned.
Two research teams are testing a simple proposition: use more of what already exists, and waste can become building material, cleaner fuel, income, and time returned to people whose days are already stretched.
In Sri Lanka, Prof. Thilini D. Gunasekara and Dr. Amila K. Jeewandara are turning sawdust into durable wood-like panels. Their aim is to extract more value from every tree already harvested, using a process simple enough for small manufacturers. At Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, organic waste is piling up while communities struggle for fuel, income and menstrual products.
In Malawi, Milemo Lusambya and the community organisation MAGUFINA want to convert organic waste into fuel briquettes, biochar and biodegradable sanitary pads, with women’s cooperatives owning and running the facilities.
The projects tackle different challenges, but their instinct is the same. What we call waste might be the foundation of something new.
Read the full article on Elsevier.com at https://elsevier.shorthandstories.com/what-if-sawdust-could-help-forests-go-further/index.html