Bornholm is the biggest island of the FREIIA partners. We have our own municipality of which we take part as waste managers (BOFA). We have many tourist visiting like the other islands in the FREIIA project, as about 700.000-800.000 tourists visit us yearly in comparison to us being 40.000 inhabitants living on the island.
At BOFA, we are working towards achieving our mission, which is to become zero waste in 2032, as our incineration plant will be decomissioned. An ambitious goal that forces us to think creatively and involve many different actors. We are working with many different waste types, but one that is very relevant to work with on this island is construction and demolition waste, as it makes up about a third of all waste and is at the same time very heavy in terms of CO2.
Another relevant waste type is white goods (refrigerators, freezers etc.). Since a collaboration with a school started, on pilot testing of reparing and restoring white goods, we have collected more data which shows that many of the products that are being discarded at the recycling station are fully functional.
So far, our journey has been marked by both progress and challenges. We have made significant strides in engaging with stakeholders and building a network of support. However, we continue to face obstacles in securing the necessary resources and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to our goals and are determined to find creative solutions.
As a municipality ourselves, we were surprised to encounter difficulties in collaborating with the local government on Koster Island. However, this experience has taught us the importance of understanding the unique challenges and dynamics of each island community. Ile de Groix, a beautiful island in France, faces the challenge of managing the influx of tourists each year. This has inspired us to view tourism as an opportunity rather than a burden. By harnessing the potential of tourists' innovation and goodwill, we aim to accelerate our journey towards becoming a zero-waste island by 2032. Moving forward, we will focus on strengthening our internal collaboration and seeking innovative ways to engage with our stakeholders and we are excited to explore ways to engage visitors in our circular economy initiatives and turn our island into a model of sustainable tourism.
Our primary theme within the FREIIA project is to develop a circular economy that effectively manages waste and promotes sustainability. We are particularly interested in exploring innovative solutions that can be easily replicated and scaled across different island communities. Moving forward, our next steps will focus on strengthening our internal and external collaboration. We will also continue to learn from our partners and explore ways to adapt their successful initiatives to our local context. By embracing the diversity of our island communities and fostering a spirit of collaboration, we are confident that we can achieve our goals and become a model of sustainable development for the North Sea region.