How to Make Briquettes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 3, 2023 Tested

Briquettes are small, compact blocks of organic waste you can use for burning in the stove or fire. While some briquettes require expensive machinery to make, anyone can easily make their own with simple waste materials. To make briquettes on your own, use simple materials like sawdust and paper. While the process takes a great deal of effort, many find it's worth it to reuse waste. If you're interested in reducing your carbon footprint, making briquettes can be a rewarding experience.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Working Your Waste into a Paste

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Making briquettes is an incredibly messy process. Before you begin, you should wear gloves to protect your hands and also put on old clothing.
Find scrap paper around your home. Old mail, flyers, and work papers work well. Shred them into tiny pieces.^{[1]
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Soak your paper for a few days. Place the papers in a bowl or bucket and cover them with water. Let the papers soak for two days. This allows the papers to soften and also releases fibers from the papers, which act as a binding agent for your briquettes.^{[2]
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- Reuse old scrap paper, such as mail, to make briquettes. This way, you're reusing old waste during the process.
After two days have passed, use your hands to knead and squeeze the paper. Keep going until you have a porridge-like mixture. The precise amount of time this will take depends on how much paper you're using.^{[3]
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Add in your organic material. Organic material must be mixed into the paper to make briquettes. You can use saw dust, pine needles, rice husks, or chopped leaves and grass. Mix one part soaked paper with three parts of your organic material.^{[4]
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- Most organic material will already be fine enough that it should not require shredding. If you're using larger leaves, however, it can't hurt to break them up a bit.
Start with a small amount of water and mix it into the paper mixture using your hands. Keep adding water until the paper mixture becomes easily moldable. When squeezed, your mixture should hold together easily.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Molding Your Briquettes

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Use a 2-liter soda bottle to make your briquette mold. Use an x-acto knife, or any sharp knife from your kitchen, to cut off the upper quarter of the bottle.^{[6]
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Turn the bottle over so the bottom is facing upward. Use a sharp knife to cut a dozen small holes circling the bottom of the bottle. These are drainage holes, where the water will leak out as your briquettes set.^{[7]
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Take any small plastic bag you have on hand, such as a bag from the grocery store. Use a twig or something similar to punch a dozen holes in the bottom of the bag. These are also drainage holes.^{[8]
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Take a handful of your briquette mixture and place it in the plastic bag. Then, place the bag in the soda bottle. If necessary, add more briquette mixture to fill the soda bottle to the brim.^{[9]
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Squeeze out excess water with a can. Place a can of some kind of food, like beans, over the briquette mixture inside of the mold. Place the mold on the ground and put your foot over the can and press down with your foot. Keep pressing the can until you can't move the mixture down any further.^{[10]
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- Water will seep out during this part of the process, so you should press the mixture outside.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Drying the Briquettes

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Take hold of the sides of the plastic bag. Slowly pull the bag upward, removing the briquette from the mold. Then, remove the briquette from the plastic. Your briquette should now be in the form a small, cylinder shape.^{[11]
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Set your briquettes in a dry place. Briquettes need time to dry before you can use them. Find a dry place, either in your home or outdoors, where the briquettes will not be disturbed.
- For example, store the briquettes in a closet in your living room. Avoid humid areas of the home, like the bathroom or kitchen.
- If you store the briquettes outside, do not leave them in the open air in case it rains. Instead, you could store them in a shed.
Once the briquettes are stored safely, simply let them sit for three to seven days. When done, briquettes should be completely dry to the touch and compact. After they're finished drying, you can burn your briquettes.^{[12]
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Tips

Try to use all recycled materials when making your briquettes. The point of briquettes is to reuse waste, so using new paper or deliberately emptying a soda bottle defeats the purpose.

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If you don't have any of the materials, ask neighbors or friends if they have any plastic bags or bottles they were going to throw out. You can also try dumpster diving if it's legal in your area.

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