Bornholm is a small island located in the middle of the Baltic Sea and is part of Denmark. With a population of just 40,000 people, it has managed to achieve the title of being the most sustainable island in Europe, awarded by the European Union. Despite its small size, Bornholm’s success in becoming the greenest island in Europe attracts visitors from all around the world who are eager to learn from their achievements and mistakes.
A Journey to Sustainability
Bornholm’s journey towards sustainability began as a response to a struggling economy. The island, which was never rich, relied heavily on farming, fishing, and tourism as its primary sources of income. However, when the fish population started to dwindle and tourism was no longer enough to sustain the economy, Bornholm needed a new plan. The plan was to become more independent from the mainland, save money in the long run, and bring more people to the island either as tourists or residents.
Reducing Waste
The first step in Bornholm’s journey towards sustainability was reducing waste. Islands face a common problem of waste piling up quickly, which can be expensive to ship out. This was especially true for Bornholm, which was heavily polluted with plastic and other trash, much of which was burned on the island. However, things have changed since then.
Today, residents are required to sort their household waste into six different categories and the waste management company has plans to increase that number to twelve. The waste at the recycling center is divided into 40 categories to make recycling more efficient. Residents have welcomed the changes and now understand that sorting their waste is not just a chore but also a way to conserve resources.
Businesses on Bornholm also recycle their own waste, reducing the amount that needs to be shipped out. Once separated, the waste is shipped to neighboring Sweden to be recycled. The recycling center is also open to the public, who can come and take whatever they need before it even needs to be recycled.
Renewable Energy
Bornholm’s journey towards sustainability is not limited to waste reduction. The island is also focused on producing all its energy from renewable sources. They have successfully transitioned from relying on non-renewable energy sources to using clean and renewable sources like wind, solar, and biogas.
Reviving the Economy
Bornholm’s transition towards sustainability has not only helped to protect the environment but has also had a positive impact on the island’s economy. By becoming more independent from the mainland, Bornholm has been able to save money in the long run and attract more people to the island, either as tourists or residents. The island’s economy has seen a boost, and its residents now have a more stable source of income.
Conclusion
Bornholm’s journey towards sustainability serves as an inspiration to other regions around the world. The island has successfully reduced waste, produced all its energy from renewable sources, and revived its struggling economy. While Bornholm is small, its success has attracted visitors from all around the world who are eager to learn from its achievements and mistakes. By continuing to focus on sustainability, Bornholm has the potential to maintain its status as the greenest island in Europe and serve as a model for other regions to follow.
I love living on Bornholm! And while we are not that many full time residents, every year we welcome back many returning guests. Some people have returned several times yearly for several decades.
That said, here is a selection of errors and unaddressed subjects:
• Transportation to the island is not green. Especially the fast ferries! In fact, if you have the choice between flying or taking a fast ferry to Bornholm, the aeroplane might be the less polluting option. If you want to travel less unsustainably, the modern ferry Hammershus (daily sailings to Køge and most of the year to Sassnitz) is a comfortable and reliable choice. The Povl Anker, featured in the video, is also not a bad choice. It is quite old and not very efficient. But it sails at an economical speed on its summer crossings to Sassnitz. There are of course projects underway to better the situation.
• Public transportation on Bornholm is by diesel buses only. And the service is infrequent, unreliable, and expensive. Four electric buses are on order, and more will be ordered as soon as a government grant is approved. Probably.
• There actually a good amount of public EV charging available. You may not be able to find them all in one app, but there are plenty. And considering the size of the island, if there is a charger at your lodging, you won’t need it anyway.
• Cardboard and everything else. Those are the only two fractions picked up at present. Why? Because lowest bidder failed. And now the previous contract holder will be using their worn out diesel trucks for at least three years longer than planned.
• The recycling centres are great though. And open for self service 24/7/364.
• Electricity is indeed delivered via an undersea cable from Sweden. Sometimes though, some idiots drag their anchor along the seabed and cut it. When this happens, diesel generators provide backup power. And the local grid alone is incapable of handling the varying output from wind and solar!
• The massive amounts of off-shore wind power planned will also include new undersea cables. And it’s actually both a huge government project and a smaller independent local project. The government project is definitely happening. But there is resistance against the large area needed for transformers and such.
That’s where I’ll end it for now. I may answer your questions, if you ask politely.
I’m a bit underwhelmed to be honest. Burning waste and biomass is still releasing carbon dioxide that could be sequestration somehow. Once they get their new offshore wind farms, large scale molten salt storage and EV charging infrastructure sorted and move domestic heating to heat pumps, then it will be very impressive.
Bornholm was very wealthy during the 60-80ties due to enormus landings of especially Cod – now there are none left. one of Denmarks richest families are fishermen from Bornholm.