The banana peel seems to have universal “appeal” in cartoon episodes. Whether a character slips and skids across the sidewalk or falls into the nearest trash can or mud puddle, loose banana peels somehow always lead to a cartoon character’s slippery demise. So in reality, where do all of the banana peels go? One answer is…the grill!

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the world, but the consumed fruit is only a small portion of the actual plant. Once the fruit is expended, the skins, leaves, and stems become waste that is destined to rot in a landfill. To solve this dilemma, scientists at The University of Nottingham have developed a method to produce banana briquettes that can be burned for cooking and heating.

To make the banana briquettes, the wasting skins and leaves are pulverized into a pulp using a hand-operated meat mincer. After the pulp is produced, sawdust is added to form a moldable material the can be compressed into a briquette shape and baked in an oven at 105 degrees.

The dried banana briquettes can be utilized as fuel. When the briquettes are burned, they produce a consistent steady heat that is idyllic for cooking. One of the goals in producing these briquettes is to try to reduce the amount of firewood used throughout the world. The growing need for firewood is causing a great deal of environmental damage, thus, producing fuel from banana waste might help decrease deforestation.

Because bananas are a staple crop in Africa, scientists anticipate that the production of banana briquettes would allow African women to spend less time collecting firewood and allow more time for completing other tasks. Using these briquettes as fuel might even allow for women to generate added sources of income for their families.

DIscussion Question: What affect may using banana briquettes have on the environment?

Link to Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com:80/releases/2009/04/090406132819.htm

Link to Video of Briquette Production: http://www.test-tube.org.uk/videos/pages_joel_bananas.htm