This study presents the successful development of a novel, sustainable, and carbon-based triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) utilizing biomass waste. Through a simple carbonization and activation process, mangosteen peel-derived carbon materials (MPC) with abundant pore structures were obtained. The resulting MPC was employed as the electrode in the TENG. The fabricated MPC-based TENG (MPC-TENG) harvested mechanical energy from both the human body and surrounding environment, converting it into electrical energy or signals. The optimized MPC-TENG device exhibits remarkable electrical output, effective human motion detection, and excellent mechanical durability. It generated an open-circuit voltage of 758 V, short-circuit current of 10.08 μA (at 7 Hz), and power density of 909 mW/m 2. Furthermore, the device powered up to 671 commercially available blue and white LEDs connected in series. The MPC-TENG sensor successfully facilitated human gesture (e.g., fist wheel/finger/palm tapping) and gait recognition, exhibiting excellent water resistance and minimal signal fluctuation after 14,000 cycles. These exceptional performance characteristics are attributed to the activation-induced high specific surface area (952 m 2/g), abundant pore architecture (0.41 cm 3/g), enhanced defect density (I D/I G ratio: 1.03 → 1.07), higher N self-doping content (1.2 → 1.6 at.%), and improved dielectric constant (3.0 → 4.3 at 1 kHz). This study offers a novel perspective on the development of biomass-based TENGs with extended lifetimes and enhanced output performance.