Earthly Biochar Introduces First Biochar Kiln for Eco-Conscious Gardeners.
Earthly Biochar is an innovative start-up on a mission to tackle the issue of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting climate change emergency through biochar – a stable form of carbon, soil improver and method of carbon capture. The planet protector plans to scale biochar production in the UK, turning waste biomass into biochar.
Lottie Hawkins, Founder of Earthly Biochar, commented: ‘I first heard about biochar at a lecture back in 2018 and immediately became fascinated. I started learning about it over dinner every night, reading about it, finding published literature, and watching YouTube videos showing how it works. I was shocked this was the first time I was hearing about this fantastic soil improver and incredible solution to climate change. And I wasn’t alone. Biochar had a cult following in 2018 but very little awareness among the general public. I was convinced there had to be a reason that biochar hadn’t taken off in the UK and I started a journey to solve the issue.’
Biochar is the name given to a special type of high-temperature charcoal, which can be mixed into compost to provide long-term benefits to soil health and plant growth. Biochar is extremely porous making it excellent at retaining water and nutrients, promoting plant health and microbial activity. As a result, it can be used as horticultural charcoal to improve soil fertility and produce better results. In addition, biochar sequesters carbon.
While biochar is similar to charcoal, one major difference is the temperature at which it is made. Charcoal is made at roughly 400 degrees Celsius, whereas biochar is made between 600–1000 Celsius. Research shows [2] that carbon, naturally occurring in wood, turns into a crystalline structure at these higher temperatures and therefore isn’t released into the atmosphere. Biochar also makes for a more effective long-term solution than charcoal, which has a comparatively shorter lifespan in soil.
In the process of creating the biochar, carbon which otherwise would have been released into the atmosphere is captured and stored. When applied to soils, biochar can also improve soil health, crop yields, and resource efficiency. Earthly Biochar uses ‘waste’ resources to make this affordable, effective soil conditioner, which also helps mitigate climate change. It has also developed a biochar kiln for gardeners to make biochar at home. The company recently won the Young Innovator of the Year Award from the Prince’s Trust and Innovate UK.
The planet has a finite number of resources. Yet they are being depleted at a rate of 1.5 Earths per year. That means 50% of next year's resource budget is used up each year. This is the definition of unsustainable. Tackling this problem is a shared responsibility. People across the UK are starting to take steps to make positive change, from corporations down to consumers. Earthly Biochar is all about making it easier for everyone from horticultural industries down to gardening enthusiasts to play their part.
What is biochar?
The process of making biochar turns the carbon into a solid crystalline structure, which when added to soil, remains safely stored long-term. It is so effective, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Project Drawdown describe biochar as a nature-based carbon sink, expected to prevent 2.2-4.4 billion tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere by 2050.
Why is biochar good for growers?
Biochar has a vast surface area and porous properties. It can hold 5.2x its weight in water, which is why it’s such a great replacement for peat. The pores also make it better at retaining nutrients, this enables growers to reduce the amount of fertiliser they use by up to 40%. Its ability to “adsorb” also prevents the release of greenhouse gas emissions from soil – in numbers, biochar can reduce up to 40% methane and nitrous oxide soil emissions – making it easier for growers to reach net zero. Further to this, biochar pores become a habitat for beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil, helping boost microbial life of the soil, which in turn increases soil fertility and plant growth.
Making biochar at home in Earthly’s Biochar Kiln
Offering a safer and sustainable alternative to traditional at-home production methods, Earthly Biochar is the first on the market to design and manufacture a purpose-built smokeless biochar kiln. The clean burning technology makes it easy and economical for domestic gardeners to make their own powerful soil amendments in just one hour, with the process optimised to create carbon-neutral heat over harmful smoke. Earthly’s biochar kilns are handmade to order in the Welsh countryside supporting rural communities. Every part of the kiln is made in the UK.
“We see biochar as one of our best tools in the fight against our climate emergency.” Says Lottie “And we see the UK becoming a driver for the movement, with more carbon-conscious individuals wanting to explore alternatives to peat-based composts and reach net zero. Our vision is to get to a place where biochar is rolled out as a practical solution on a mass scale to improve sustainability across all agriculture and horticulture industries.
“The IPCC, Project Drawdown, the Royal Society and Exponential Roadmap all include biochar in their plans for how we reach net zero emissions. The Royal Horticultural Society and all leading academic institutions recognise biochar's ability as a soil amendment. Our mission as the first responsible UK biochar suppliers is to make it accessible.”
