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African Scientist Hacks Mangosteen Rinds to Create Supercapacitors for Devices
Globally, an estimated 931 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted each year—roughly one-third of all food produced, according to South Africa’s Government Gazette (2023). If other African countries matched South Africa’s 30 percent peel ratio and 10 percent conversion efficiency, the continent—home to tens of millions of tonnes of annual fruit harvests—could generate hundreds of thousands of tonnes of peel-derived activated carbon every year. At that scale, Africa could launch a domestically owned supercapacitor industry, transforming orchards and market waste into a cornerstone of its clean-energy transition.
In South Africa, food waste remains both a challenge and an opportunity. A report by Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures (WWF South Africa), roughly 10 million tonnes of food are discarded annually, with fruits and vegetables accounting for 44 percent of that total. Converting just 30 percent of that produce into peel—and then yielding 10 percent activated carbon—could alone supply over 132 000 tonnes of energy-grade material for supercapacitor electrodes.
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By Chimauchem NwosuGlobally, an estimated 931 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted each year—roughly one-third of all food produced, according to South Africa’s Government Gazette (2023). If other African countries matched South Africa’s 30 percent peel ratio and 10 percent conversion efficiency, the continent—home to tens of millions of tonnes of annual fruit harvests—could generate hundreds of thousands of tonnes of peel-derived activated carbon every year. At that scale, Africa could launch a domestically owned supercapacitor industry, transforming orchards and market waste into a cornerstone of its clean-energy transition.
In South Africa, food waste remains both a challenge and an opportunity. A report by Food Loss and Waste: Facts and Futures (WWF South Africa), roughly 10 million tonnes of food are discarded annually, with fruits and vegetables accounting for 44 percent of that total. Converting just 30 percent of that produce into peel—and then yielding 10 percent activated carbon—could alone supply over 132 000 tonnes of energy-grade material for supercapacitor electrodes.