Eco-friendly fire fuels are becoming more important than ever. Discover why normal charcoal is not ideal, and why Shisa Eco-Briquettes are the forefront of sustainable fuel.
South Africans love to braai, and charcoal is still one of our favourite ways to do it. But here’s what many Saffas don’t know: burning traditional charcoal not only negatively impacts the environment but also poses several human health risks.
Luckily there is an eco-friendly alternative, and here are some reasons why you should switch to it from regular “braai kole”.
How Charcoal Affects the Environment
Charcoal production is bad for the environment on two fronts:
Deforestation: To produce charcoal, you need to cut down trees. This is negatively impacting Africa’s forests. Research shows that charcoal production alone damages 1.27 million hectares in sub-Saharan Africa every year.
Nasty Air Pollution: Burning charcoal pumps carbon emissions (monoxide and dioxide) into the atmosphere, which is dangerous to plant life wildlife, and negatively impacts ecosystems.
Eco friendlier versions like Shisa Briquettes contribute nothing to deforestation because we use macadamia shells instead of wood. This not only reduces the use of trees to zero but also recycles waste material that would have polluted the environment otherwise.
The Danger of Charcoal on Your Health
While carbon emissions are bad for the environment, the chemicals released when burning charcoal are also dangerous for people. From particulate matter to carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic compounds, these emissions can negatively affect your health.
This includes aggravating asthma, reducing lung function, and increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Some also cause headaches and dizziness while others can build up in your body over time causing cancer, leukaemia and other blood diseases.
Shisa Eco-Briquettes emit 75% less carbon and 80% less lung damaging particulate matter, and leave behind very little ash, reducing the stress of cleaning the braai spot. Added proof that switching to a cleaner-burning fuel protects your health and your stress levels.
Sustainability and Social Responsibility as an Added Benefit
Protecting the environment is excellent. Preserving your health is superb. Creating sustainable jobs in rural South African communities is amazing. Producing Shisa Eco-Briquettes has created jobs for locals from the small town of White River in Mpumalanga.
Our team is small (like our town), but works hard to produce an eco-friendly and sustainable braai fuel by turning local waste into valuable fuel. This in turn contributes to a much better environment and a healthier braai experience too.
