Insights into the reuse of urban forestry wood waste for charcoal production

The wood wastes from urban forestry management can be used for the production of bioenergy, producing zero net emission of greenhouse gases and giving more appropriate destination and greater added value to the material. To enable this use, we investigated the characteristics of charcoal produced from tree species commonly used in urban forestry in a subtropical region. The charcoal produced was evaluated for its yield and quality, through chemical analysis. Regarding the parameters required for household use or in steelmaking, none of the species met the recommended criteria for ash content, but showed potential for charcoal production in relation to moisture content, charcoal yield, and contents of non-condensable gases, pyroligneous liquid, volatile materials, and fixed carbon. Satisfactory charcoal yield and quality were obtained from the species Nectandra megapotamica, Terminalia catappa, Handroanthus sp., and Cenostigma pluviosum. We recommend investigating the partial introduction of these residues with the wood of species grown for the production of charcoal, or other species from urban forestry not yet evaluated. This waste valorization strategy can be incorporated in solid waste management plans regarding the choice of species for urban forestry, in order to meet this demand and fulfill its environmental role.