MANILA, Philippines ? (UPDATE) Forest wastes like coconut husks, leaves, twigs, and branches can now be used as raw materials to produce charcoal briquette, an alternative source of fuel, particularly for liquefied petroleum gas, according to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

?Mababawasan ?yung dependence natin sa LPG. Ito ay uling na gawa sa paraan na hindi kaingin, hindi slash and burn, hindi sumisira ng kalikasan. Sagot pa sa problema ng proper waste disposal. [This would lessen our dependence on LPG. We obtained charcoal not from the traditional slash and burn, therefore, it does not destroy our environment. It also solves our problem in proper waste disposal],? added Atienza.

Atienza demonstrated how the technology, developed in 2000 by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, worked at the Don Bosco Youth Center, Tondo Manila.

The process of producing charcoal briquette begins with the gathering of raw materials like dry wood and non-wood biomass such as leaves, twigs, branches, and coconut husks that will be sorted, chopped and piled, according to a primer released by the ERDB.

And then the ?carbonization process,? where the materials are burned for 45 minutes, takes place. Larger materials use the ?drum method? where the items are burned inside a drum, the ERBD said.

A ?plate carbonizer? grinds lighter materials like leaves, rice hull, and peanut shells, it said.

Corn and cassava starch are then mixed to the carbonized materials in what is known as the grinding process, it said

The mixed material is then placed in a manual briquettor that produces the finished product, which is dried and packed for commercial or household purposes, it said.

Engineer Santiago Baconguis, ERDB chief and science research specialist, said that 250 kilograms of carbonized material was produced for every one ton of raw materials.

The packed charcoal can be sold at P 15.00/ kg, he said.

The ERDB?s comparative analysis on the required charcoal per household says that a household will only consume 1.69kg of DENR carbonized charcoal to cook three meals compared to 3.50 kg ordinary charcoal.

The briquette ignites and burns completely in at least 50 minutes and is environment-friendly, emitting a steady heat with low clean flame, said Atienza.

ERDB noted that with the use of charcoal briquettes, poultry farms, households, and domestic business could lessen wood charcoal consumption.

?It will help mitigate carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere and lessen the depletion of the country?s forest resources,? said Baconguis.

Meanwhile, Evelyn Chica, resident of Tondo, expressed interest in the technology.

?Napakagandang teknolohiya na ito. Malaking tulong ito lalo na sa aming mga taga-Tondo. Kaya lang po dapat ituro ng maigi sa bawat barangay. [This technology can help us residents of Tondo. However, they should teach each village well],? said Chica.