Living Lab #2 Adaptive Waste-Fired Kiln has been selected as a case study for the course Innovative Energy Solutions, involving six engineering students from the Technical University of Denmark. The course runs over a seven-week period and focuses on developing sustainable energy solutions in real-world contexts.
BOFA, the municipal waste authority of Bornholm, is leading the island’s transition toward the vision “Bornholm shows the way – without waste 2032.” This vision aims to eliminate incineration and instead treat all discarded materials as valuable resources, aligning waste management with circular economy principles.
Within the framework of the Horizon Europe project HEPHAESTUS, BOFA operates the Future of Craft Green Living Lab—a platform for testing new technologies and sustainable business models that connect crafts, culture, and circular resource use. Through collaboration with local makers and researchers, the Living Lab explores how waste streams such as used cooking oil and biomass residues can be used to fuel creative production while reducing environmental impact.
Ceramic production is among the most energy-intensive craft processes, requiring high-temperature kilns that are typically powered by fossil fuels or grid electricity. At the same time, Bornholm generates a range of combustible waste streams that currently require costly collection or export.
Ceramicist Sara Jeffries, together with the local craft ecosystem in Bornholm, is developing an adaptive kiln prototype capable of firing ceramics using multiple types of waste-based fuels, including but not limited to waste oil. The goal is to create a locally adaptable, low-emission system that supports small-scale craft production while valorizing local waste streams.
Students explore this challenge from an interdisciplinary perspective, addressing technical design, environmental life-cycle impacts, logistical and social collaboration models, and potential business and governance structures. Living Lab #2 supports the development and demonstration of next-generation circular craft technologies on Bornholm.