Paper as Charcoal: Research Overview

Research Overview

• The research explores using dried paper as an alternative for charcoal production
• The study compares charcoal made from dried paper with wood-based charcoal
• Grade 12 STEM students from Imus Unida Christian School conducted the research.
• The paper was prepared and submitted by Balbalosa, Herrera, Mizon, Supat, Sy, Tomamac, and Villalobos

Acknowledgements

• The researchers expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in assisting and supporting them throughout the completion of the study.
• Above all the researchers thanked God for providing them with wisdom, strength, and direction
• Gratitude extends to families for their encouragement and support
• Peers are recognized for their cooperation and insights
• Teachers and mentors are appreciated for their guidance and expertise
• Appreciation is also given to everyone who contributed to the success of the research
• Time, effort, and support from all contributors are deeply valued

Table of Contents

• The research paper includes:
  • Title Page
  • Approval Sheet
  • Acknowledgement
  • Table of Contents
  • Chapters I-V
  • References
  • Appendices

Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Background

• Paper waste is among the most common types of solid waste globally, often ending up in landfills and incinerators

• This contributes to various health and environmental issues.

• Recycling paper waste into usable materials like charcoal can help mitigate this issue and promote sustainable waste management practices,

  per Abushammala et al. (2023)

• Reliance on wood-based charcoal contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions.

• Charcoal remains a widely used energy source, particularly in countries like the Philippines, as highlighted by Nabukalu and Gieré (2019).

• The research studies dried paper's potential as an alternative material for charcoal production

• Repurposing paper waste can reduce dependency on wood, supporting environmental conservation and resource sustainability

• The research aligns with Flores and Nepomuceno (2022), which emphasizes organic waste management's role in reducing environmental pollution and enhancing urban sustainability

Goals and Research Questions

• The study determined paper's potential as an alternative material for charcoal production
• The research seeks to answer:
  • What is the level of effectiveness of dried paper as an alternative material for charcoal production?
  • What is the performance level of different types of paper used as charcoal in terms of:
    • Temperature
    • Weight
    • Burning time
  • Is there a significant difference between charcoal produced from dried paper and wood-based charcoal?

Hypothesis

• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference between charcoal produced from dried paper and wood-based charcoal.
• Alternative Hypothesis (Ha): There is a significant difference between charcoal produced from dried paper and wood-based charcoal.

Scope and Delimitations

• The study focuses on utilizing dried papers in charcoal production, specifically creating paper charcoal by soaking waste papers, forming them into balls, and drying them in the sun
• Only water and dried paper are needed to create the paper charcoal
• Included factors are:
  • Burning time
  • Efficiency
  • Amount of paper required
  • Temperature
• The researchers assessed the practicality, effectiveness, and ecological implications of using dried paper
• Limited to dried paper from newspapers, cardboard, office, and school paper waste
• Other sources such as wood were excluded
• No examination on the socioeconomic/market impacts, carbon content, combustion characteristics, air pollution, wider environmental repercussions, or applications of charcoal was done.
• Only production methods were examined.
• The experiments are conducted on a laboratory scale, as the data may not portray the effects of large-scale production techniques

Conceptual Framework

• Input:
  • Dried paper and wood-based charcoal (efficiency, temperature, and burning time)
  • Amount of paper waste
  • Alternative material for charcoal production
• Process:
  • Experimental process
  • Data gathering
  • Evaluation and assessment of data
  • Analysis and interpretation of data
• Output:
  • Dried paper as an alternative material for charcoal production
• Assessment of wood and paper charcoal inputs include:
  • Burning time to measure the time charcoal can combust compared to wood-based charcoal
  • Efficiency of measuring effectiveness
  • Temperature measurements
  • Paper estimates to measure the amount needed for charcoal production

Theoretical Framework

• The research is supported by the Circular Economic Theory (CE) and Sustainable Development Theory (SD)
• Pearce and Turner’s (1989) Circular Economic Theory is a solution to multiple issues, including waste generation, resource scarcity, and long-term economic benefits
• McDonough and Braungart (2002) pushed CE into the mainstream with “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things."
• The circular economy avoids the use of fossil fuels and nonrenewable energy.
• The Sustainable Development Theory (SD), popularized by the Brundtland Report and described by the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), is important for balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity
• Barbier's (1987) "The Concept of Sustainable Economic Development" integrates ecological and economic systems
• Both CE and SD are applied to evaluate repurposing paper waste for environmental concerns and resource efficiency
• The theories support that dried paper can be waste transformed into a low-cost alternative fuel
• Adhering to CE promotes waste/resource reduction and SD reduces deforestation with low-cost solutions.

Significance of the Study

• Communities and Households: More affordable and reliable sources for cooking and heating, especially in areas with limited access to traditional fuel sources
• Waste Management Companies: Helps utilize dried paper. Offers a new feedstock for charcoal production/paper waste reducing disposal costs, improving recycling rates, and reducing landfill use
• Government: Significant contributions to a sustainable development, waste management systems, and in reducing landfill waste
• Students: Enhance knowledge and awareness of sustainable practices, and use this study as a reference or guideline
• Future Researchers: Provides valuable insights, new exploration avenues/perspectives on sustainable charcoal production, and prompting further study into alternative materials and methods for energy generation

Definition of Terms

• Alternative: Whether dried paper-based charcoal can be an alternative for traditional wood-based charcoal.
• Burning Time: Measuring and indicating the duration of how long it can sustain flame or heat.
• Circular Economy: Practical, measurable, and actionable explanation of the concept, often used in business, policy, or research contexts.
• Combustion: The process of burning fuel to produce heat and efficiency of dried paper charcoal.
• Dried Paper: Dehydrated material from solid waste, also the independent variable.
• Reuse: The researchers' process of using paper waste from landfills.
• Solid Waste: Discarded non-liquid material or substance that requires proper management or disposal. Used to be used by the researchers.
• Wood-based Charcoal: Charcoal produced by burning wood logs, timber, commonly used for cooking, heating, and industrial purposes.
• Utilization: Practical measurement of how effectively a resource, system, or service is used.

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature and Studies

• Comedis et al. (2017) stated paper charcoal serves as an excellent substitute for cooking and is an accessible option that is less harmful to the environment.
• Reyes and Garcia (2021) show that paper-based charcoal on rural significantly reduced reliance on traditional wood charcoal, which helps combat deforestation.
• Payoyo et al. (2017) emphasizes inter-plant waste exchange reduces the demand for raw materials, conserves energy, and minimizes waste.
• According to Flores, M. L., & Nepomuceno, E. G. (2022) highlight waste management practices that help divert valuable soil amendments and reduce greenhouse gasses
• Geranta, C. G., & Quitos, L. S. (2024) suggest organic wastes can be processed into charcoal briquettes, to provide less deforestation. A cost-effective alternative that produce less smoke.
• Shah, N. H., Satia, M. H., & Yeolekar, B. M. (2018) find that recycling paper lowers the demand for raw materials and uses less energy.
• Lee and Park (2020) has demonstrated using paper pulp waste for briquette is more viable
• Kongprasert et al. (2019) investigated the charcoals as a raw material by analyzing properties to coconut shell briquettes
• Singh et al. (2023) stated recycling waste saves about 70% of raw materials and 60% if coal.
• Najm and Mansour (2024) find that paper disposed of landfill eventually breaks due to anaerobic states
• Del Rosario et at. (2023) state the study indicates briquettes burned longer, produce less smoke and are comparable to traditional charcoal in terms of energy output
• Romallosa, A.R.D. and Hornada, K.J.C. (2017) one sample made a briquette that only consisted of paper for viability in viability to cook with.
• Abranilla et al (2024) find the sabango charcoal performed better than traditional charcoal
• Ramos et al (2024) looked into the feasibility of using biocharcoal as an alternative
• Torres and Aberilla. (2024) suggest the ecologically friendly production of briquetting outperforms of the comparable manufacturing of charcoal
• Nguyen and Santos (2023) aim to address two pressing issues, (solid waste management and the demand for energy)
• Nabukalu and Giere (2019) state most countries charcoal industry is indiscriminate due to charcoal maintaining its supremacy in the energy consumption.
• Mahmud, A., & Rajab, A. (2022) demonstrate agricultural and industrial biomass waste biofuels can reduce greenhouse emissions and waste accumulation

Local and Foreign Synthesis

• Synthesis:
  • Paper-based charcoal is a cost-effective alternative
  • Paper-based charcoal is a renewable fuel source
  • Flores, and Nepomuceno stress the importance of organic waste management
  • Lee and Park demonstrate waste paper transforming to cleaner burning briquettes
  • Foreign findings support that it's environmental significance with waste, conservation, and traditional harmful forces
  • Del Rosario that paper waste can be high efficient
  • Found that paper are found highly efficient when cooking
  • Abukalu and Giere find that sustainability decreases deforestation
  • Sustainable developments offer clean energy solutions

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

• This research will be a quanitative approach
• The reasearch will look into dried alternative materials that has quality and efficiency
• Using Quasi-Experimental Research will narrow the data to be more particular
• Research will asess impact of different agriculture products and biomass
• Experiments will result basis of the data

Data Gathering

• Reseachers will use an experimental approach to establish a relationship between variables
• Relating charoal to dried paper will measure how potent and useful in replacement in wood-based charcoal
• Factos will be important to the data (time, efficiency, paper, and quantity)

Research Instrument

• Used office and school paper waste- Free of coatings
• Cardboard- Free of coatings
• Newspaper- Free of glossy
• Water
• Bassin
• Flat Tray
• Scale
• Infrared Thermometer

Process of Charcoal

• Researchers sort newspaper, office paper, and cardboard
• Papers are then teared and shreded
• After they will be soaked
• Squeeze the paper into a ball of shape
• Ensure its size is appropriate with a scale
• Place on tray exposed to sunlight

Chapter 4: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

• Presented analysis, and interpretation to determine effectiveness regarding charcoal production
• Organized the research to provide a comparative study
• The following data shows pattern between weight and burning time

Weight

• After the material have been dried from the wet, material lost to about 75% in weight

Burning Time

• Mixtures of paper and caardboard had the longest burning time compared to wood-based being second place and newspaper taking last place.

Chapter 5: Findings, Conclusion, and Recommendations

• The study wanted to determine dried paper as viable charcoal
• Achieved from quantitative approach, the efficiency, production, temperature, and sustainability of charcoal.

Findings

• Paper-charcoal has to be made strong and last even greater in comparison
• Combinations of paper produced long burn periods

Conclusions

• Researched to demonstrate dried paper can be transformed to a viable charcoal.
• Recycleing provides sources for energy

Recommendations

• Household test paper-charcoal
• Communities organize training to collect wastepaper
• Industry improve efficient of charcoal
• Research further to test combustion