This post is created by The Better India and sponsored by Wingify Earth.

A machine that converts agricultural waste and crop residues into bio-incense sticks, paper plates and even vegan leather! Named ‘BioChar’, this portable machine operates without electricity.
The innovation of this device is credited to Govinda Hari Sonawane from Nimbhora village in Maharashtra. With an MSc in Electronics, Govinda began thinking of ideas that could lead to potential startups one day.
He observed that while the idea of producing incense sticks from flowers and agricultural waste has been explored before, it required a large amount of electricity and money.
“I took a 200 litre-capacity drum and made a prototype. It was designed in a way that no electricity was needed to operate it. Any kind of waste, including dry leaves of plants, would be turned into charcoal in a few hours,” says Govinda.
With this design idea, BioChar was ready in March 2022. The machine can benefit farmers and people of North India who face the adverse effects of stubble burning every winter.
The machine works on a simple principle of feeding crop waste and converting it into charcoal. It uses a filter to control the amount of smoke generated.
Govinda says that corn cobs usually take 90 minutes to turn into charcoal while dry leaves of plants or cotton stalks take less time. Once the charcoal has been produced, the flame is reduced and the charcoal can be extracted from the outlet.
He says that the process eliminates more than 95 per cent of smoke when compared to the traditional burning of stubble.
Govinda has also built a B2B2C model wherein the charcoal is converted into incense sticks and sold to shop owners.

#WingifyEarth encourages such proactive initiatives.

#WingifyEarth in partnership with 'The Better India'