Biochar in Belgium: What Works Best for the Planet?

In Belgium’s Flanders region, scientists are asking a key question: Could turning waste into biochar actually help the environment? To find out, they studied how different types of biochar—made from green waste or chicken manure—perform under various production and usage conditions. The focus was on two temperatures (450°C and 600°C) and two methods of use: adding it directly to soil or using it first to boost biogas production. The results show no single combination is perfect for every environmental concern.The study dug into multiple environmental impacts, like global warming and pollution. For cutting greenhouse gases and saving fossil fuels, biochar—especially when used in biogas systems—usually came out ahead. But for toxicity risks, the “normal” waste handling methods sometimes looked better. Surprisingly, chicken manure-based biochar often performed better than green waste across most measures. Still, the study warns that some findings, especially on toxicity, might not tell the full story due to gaps in the data. The biggest surprises? How often the benefits came from indirect effects—like how biochar production changes other industries—rather than its direct impact on soil or crops. This reminds us that sometimes, the bigger environmental win isn’t the product itself, but what it replaces.