In recent years there has been a strong increase in interest in the world of barbecues and outdoor cooking in high-income countries. Referring to FAO data, an exponential growth in imports of charcoal was observed in Europe and North America. Italy is one of the major European consumers and importers. On the market it is possible to find material with different characteristics and origins. However, analysis aimed at ascertaining the quality of the material are poorly performed. This research aimed to analyze the energy properties of charcoal commonly available on the Italian market. Twenty-four bags of charcoal and charcoal briquettes were analyzed. Eighteen samples represent the products most easily found on the market, in stores and on websites. In addition, six samples were supplied directly by the producer/importing company. The samples were grouped according to the continent of origin of the material (Europe, North-Central America and South America). Charcoal briquette samples were included together in a group. Referring to the ISO 17225-1 standard, the moisture content, ash content, heating value, volatile matter and fixed carbon were determined. Except for the moisture content, the results of the tests performed on all parameters show a strong variability both between different groups and within the same group. In detail, the European charcoal samples show characteristics more suitable for their use in barbecues. These have the highest values of fixed carbon and heating value and, at the same time, low values of ash and volatile matter. On the contrary, charcoal briquettes have less suitable characteristics for barbecue. The work also highlighted some gaps in the reference standard relating to laboratory analyses. To ensure careful control of the qualitative characteristics of the products on the market, it is necessary to promote the creation of a quality brand.

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) hurds, the inner bark of the stem, are a poorly appreciated part of the plant that typically represents waste. The aim of this experiment was to describe the physical characteristics, including moisture (M), water absorption (WA), and ammonia absorption (AA), of 10 hemp varieties (Fibranova, Codimono, USO31, CS, Futura 75, Eletta Campana, Carmaleonte, Felina 32, Santhica, and Ferimon) cultivated in Italy. Samples of hemp hurds were ground to 8 mm obtaining hemp shives. Values of M, WA, and AA were determined following the official procedures. The results showed an average of 7.78%, 251.9%, and 50.0% for M, WA, and AA, respectively. Data of M and WA were similar among varieties, whereas a significant difference was found for the AA, varying from 45.0 to 55.5% for the Fibranova and Ferimon varieties, respectively. In conclusion, hemp shives have good physical characteristics, similar to other commercial bedding materials (i.e., wood shavings) but other parameters and on-farm trials will be required to make a full assessment of hemp.

The global charcoal trade is steadily growing, with high-income countries importing significant quantities of this material from regions where its production is often associated with severe environmental issues, including forest overexploitation, illegal logging, and environmental pollution. Promoting local charcoal production in high-income countries is crucial to addressing these challenges. In this study, we have chosen to focus on the European context, specifically emphasizing Italy as a case study. Our study aimed to comprehensively compare five distinct charcoal production systems, including both traditional and modern solutions, with a specific focus on evaluating the quality of the resulting charcoal. Additionally, improvements were evaluated to enhance production efficiency. Traditional systems cannot satisfy production requests, resulting in inefficiencies in manpower, costs, times, and yield. Conversely, recent innovations consider mobile and stationary kiln prototypes. Mobile kilns offer flexibility and cost savings but require operator expertise, limit automation, and have long cycles. In contrast, stationary systems operate continuously, increasing productivity and efficiency, despite higher investment costs. Notably, charcoal quality showed minimal differences. These findings highlighted the potential of new technologies to enhance efficiency, reduce cost and environmental impact, and promote sustainable charcoal production.

In Italy the agricultural residues resulting from pruning of vineyards represent a potential energy resource, in particular for the Veneto region which is the second Italian region by vineyard area. This study is aimed at analyzing the main physical and chemical characteristics of vine shoots from the annual pruning of vineyards. This is for their possible use as wood chips in small-medium size power plants. International and European standards for the analysis of biofuels were used to determine the moisture content, heat value, ash content, micro and macro elemental and fibrous fraction (lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and extractives). The samples were collected from three different vineyards in the Vicenza area. The varieties analyzed were Chardonnay, Glera and Merlot. For each variety, the three different components of vine shoots were compared: internode, node and pith, to investigate in which part of the vine shoot the greatest accumulation of metallic elements deriving from plant protection products occurs. The results show significant differences among the energy parameters of the three varieties and three vine shoot components. In particular, the pith shows low heat value and high ash content while the woody components are characterized by higher energy values. Analysis of the chemical elements showed a high content of Cu and Zn in the wood components, node and internode, causing the high ash content found. In particular, Cu content exceeds the limits set by the reference standard. As regards the analysis of the fibrous fraction, a high content of extractives was found in the pith. These extractives could be one of the explanations why the pith of the three varieties analyzed, especially in Chardonnay, have less lower heat value on dry basis (LHV0) values and high ash contents. On the contrary, the node and internode components have a higher content of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Overall, the vine shoots analyzed have characteristics suitable for a possible energy use. However, due to the high ash and Cu content, according to EN ISO 17225-9:2021 standard these can only be used as wood chips for industrial purposes in large power plants.

Lump charcoal is used in various applications, with combustion performance reliant on physical properties including apparent density. Currently, apparent density is measured by liquid displacement using Archimedes’ principle, which can yield inconsistent results for porous, irregular materials. This study investigates structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry as a non-destructive alternative for estimating the apparent density of lump charcoal. Ninety fragments from 15 commercial samples were analyzed. Mass was measured using an analytical balance, and volume was estimated independently via Archimedes’ method and photogrammetry. Apparent density was calculated as the ratio of mass to volume. Results showed strong agreement between the two methods. Mean density values ranged from 284.2 to 751.6 kg/m³ for photogrammetry and from 267.2 to 765.7 kg/m³ for Archimedes. No significant differences were found (Wilcoxon test, p > 0.05), and a strong correlation was observed (Spearman’s ρ = 0.94, p < 0.001). Photogrammetry also demonstrated low estimation errors, with a mean absolute error of 38.8 kg/m³, a percentage error of 9.9%, and a root mean squared error of 50.2 kg/m³. Beyond methodological innovation, this approach strengthens sustainability by supporting accurate fuel properties control, allowing better use of the resource and maximizes combustion efficiency. In this way, it contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) on affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.

Charcoal grilling is a widespread cooking method that contributes significantly to pollutant emissions. This study investigated the release of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and total suspended particulates (TSP) during the grilling of beef steak, chicken breast, and pork belly using lump charcoal and briquettes. Emission factors (EFs) were determined, and the influence of fuel and meat type, meat composition, and operational parameters was assessed through linear mixed-effects models (LMMs). Briquettes produced higher emissions than lump charcoal, with TVOC and TSP about one-third higher. LMMs confirmed that fuel type significantly affects TVOC emissions ( p = 0.010), while cooking duration ( p = 0.001), total grilling time ( p = 0.001), and weight loss ( p < 0.001) were the main predictors of TSP. Meat type also influenced emissions. Beef steak and chicken breast, despite having a lower fat content, generated significantly more TVOC than pork belly ( p < 0.05) due to longer cooking times. In contrast, pork belly produced higher TSP through fat dripping. Across both pollutants, weight loss ( p < 0.001) and the weight loss rate ( p < 0.001) were robust indicators of pollutant emission. Meat moisture, protein, and ash content were associated with both TVOC and TSP ( p < 0.001), underscoring the multifactorial origin of grilling emissions. Overall, the results demonstrate that pollutant formation cannot be explained solely by categorical distinctions between fuels or meats. Instead, proximate composition and operational parameters provide the most informative predictors, offering a mechanistic framework for evaluating grilling emissions and supporting strategies to mitigate human exposure.