Biochar for waste management and environmental sustainability

Waste management is inadequate in most cities in developing countries, as a significant portion of the population lacks access to a waste-collection service and only a fraction of the generated waste is actually collected. Biochar is potentially an immediate, economically viable solution for reducing the global impact of bio-waste and wastewater. This chapter discusses biochar and its properties and uses for waste management. Despite widespread interest in applying biochar for soil amelioration and potential mitigation of climate change, substantial uncertainties remain about the impact, capacity, and environmental sustainability of biochar production and its applications, particularly in the long term. Due to the irreversibility of applying biochar to soils, any potential risks should be thoroughly examined before widespread use of biochar is adopted.