About BOFA

BOFA's organisation is illustrated in the organogram above.

The day-to-day running of BOFA is handled by the management team, which consists of the director and three department heads.

The three department managers have the following responsibilities:

• CFO: Responsible for finance and administration.
• Operations Manager: Responsible for the energy plant, recycling centre, environments and bottle bells as well as internal and external logistics.
• Environmental and Project Manager: Responsible for the project department, recycling centres, hazardous waste transfer station, landfill, reception control and scales.

The Operations Manager and the Environment and Project Manager each have two specialised coordinators who ensure daily and professional contact with employees in their respective areas.

BOFA's User Council meets twice a year. The council acts as an advisory body without decision-making power. This means that the User Council cannot make decisions about BOFA's tariffs or services, for example.

Any issues in day-to-day operations are clarified between BOFA's management team and the centre manager in BRK Environment, Planning and Culture and the Nature, Environment and Planning Committee.

Waste plans, regulations and similar are prepared in collaboration with the Nature, Environment and Planning Committee.

BOFA's highest authority is the municipal council.

On 1 January 2003, BOFA changed from being a joint municipal company owned by the five Bornholm municipalities to becoming a company under Bornholm Regional Municipality.

To ensure an ongoing and optimal dialogue with the users of BOFA's services, the regional municipality's Technical and Environmental Committee decided to set up a user council affiliated with BOFA on BOFA's recommendation.

Composition of the User Council
The User Council consists of representatives from different user groups that use BOFA's services. Each invited user group selects a representative for the council.

Meetings of the User Council
The User Council meets twice a year. The meetings are typically held in BOFA's Waste Tower or at another location in Rønne.

Role and competences of the user council
The User Council has no decision-making power. Therefore, the council cannot make decisions on BOFA's tariffs or services, for example. The decision-making power always lies with the municipal council, relevant standing committees and BOFA's management.

BOFA's user council will always be informed and consulted on relevant topics, such as:

• Upcoming service changes
• Upcoming changes to tariffs
• Green accounting results
• Key figures from financial statements
• Waste plan
• Waste regulations
• Sorting rules
• Changing legal requirements
• Information and communication

The following associations, companies and councils are represented in BOFA's User Council:

BEOF
BO42
Danish Society for Nature Conservation
Elderly Council
Danish Industry
Rønne water and heating (RVV)
Bornholm Civic Associations Co-operative
Bornholm Agriculture
Danish Construction Association Bornholm
BOFA

The latest minutes of the User Council can be found here.

Environmental & occupational health & safety management system

BOFA's environmental management system achieved ISO 14001 certification on 22 October 2003. The certification was carried out by Det Norske Veritas.

BOFA has introduced the environmental and occupational health and safety management system with financial support from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Competence Scheme and Bornholm Business Centre TIC. The system was introduced with consultancy assistance from COWI A/S and was implemented on 5 May 2003. The system's structure and processes are described and documented in detail in BOFA's Environmental Management Manual.

In 2018, BOFA converted to ISO 14001/2015. On 16 August of the same year, a conversion audit was held where the system was approved and we received the corresponding certificate (see below). From 13 to 15 November 2018, further audits were carried out focusing on the employees' work with the system. The result was positive and we passed without any deviations.

This certification means that we continue our work to improve our environmental management system in accordance with the ISO 14001/2015 standard. Our goal is to continuously optimise our efforts to ensure a sustainable and safe working environment.

The foreword to the Environmental Management Handbook is written by BOFA's director and reads as follows:

You have the latest version of BOFA's Environmental Management Handbook in front of you. In it, you can read how BOFA ensures safe and professional business operations that take into account both the known and the unknown in both the short and long term.

BOFA is one of the country's smallest waste companies. The geographical conditions have made it so. This means that we have to be able to do everything a much larger company can do with fewer resources. More than ever, we need to utilise the most up-to-date management tools available for
To ensure we can achieve our goals.

Bornholm sets high goals for the environment, sustainability, and resilience, primarily in the Bright Green Island strategy. In the field of waste, we are working towards the fulfilment of Vision 2032, the main goal of which is that all waste on Bornholm must be reused or recycled by 2032. This means saying goodbye to incineration and landfill and a strong focus on circular economy, sustainability and green transition.

ISO 14001 in its new revised form is an example of a management tool that is now in its new form sharper and more operational than ever and which will help BOFA make its contribution to Bornholm as a Bright Green Island.

Happy reading

The purpose of the environmental and occupational health and safety management system is: 
The purpose of BOFA's environmental management system is to ensure that we as a company work holistically, purposefully and openly in favour of both the environment and the working environment.

BOFA's environmental policy is formulated as follows:
BOFA's environmental policy is based on two key elements: the waste hierarchy and the 2032 vision.

The waste hierarchy means that all waste must be prevented, collected, treated and disposed of with the greatest possible consideration for resource utilisation and the impact on the surrounding environment. The 2032 vision means that waste on Bornholm must be prevented, reused, recycled or recovered by 2032.

BOFA also wants the environmental policy to value the relevant targets (DM) from the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

BOFA's environmental policy is therefore as follows:

 DM 9.1 Develop good quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and cross-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on sensible and equal access for all.
BOFA will ensure that collection systems, both pick-up and drop-off schemes, continuously comply with this.

 DM 9.4 By 2030, the infrastructure and retrofit industry must be upgraded to make sustainable, with more efficient use of resources and increased use of clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes. All countries must act according to their respective capabilities.
To support this, BOFA will, among other things, introduce innovative tenders and utilise the best available technology in all relevant areas, including exploring technological opportunities in the operation and development of projects. BOFA will also reduce its own resource consumption without adversely affecting the working environment and safety conditions.

 DM 11.6 By 2030, reduce the negative environmental impact per capita, including Pay special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
BOFA wants, among other things expressed in the 2032 vision, to phase out combustible waste and instead ensure that all waste on Bornholm is prevented or sorted for reuse or recycling.

 DM 12.4 By 2020, achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste throughout their life cycle, in accordance with the agreed international framework, and their emissions to air, water and soil must be significantly reduced to minimise their negative
impacts on human health and the environment.
BOFA wants to reduce the consumption of environmentally harmful products in its operations either by phasing out or by substitution. This will also contribute to a better working environment for BOFA's employees. At the same time, BOFA will ensure that environmentally hazardous substances received at BOFA's recycling centres are handled in the best method available at any given time.

 DM 12.5 By 2030, the amount of waste must be significantly reduced through prevention, reduction,
recycling and reuse.
BOFA will, according to the 2032 vision, work towards reducing future waste volumes by influencing citizens and businesses.

 DM 17.17 Encourage and promote effective public partnerships, public-private partnerships and civil society partnerships that build on lessons learnt and resource strategies from Partnerships.
BOFA has previously participated in projects where OPI (public-private innovation) was in focus. BOFA wants to continue to incorporate OPI experiences in future tenders and contracts in all relevant areas, including waste-related projects.

 DM 4.7/4.7.1 All students should have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development, including through education on sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles and the contribution of culture to sustainable development.
The degree of integration of global citizenship education and education for sustainable development at all levels in: (a) national education policies, (b) curricula, (c) teacher training and (d) student assessment.
BOFA offers all the island's childcare centres, public and private schools, secondary schools, etc. orientation in waste management corresponding to the respective age groups. BOFA also enters into agreements with partner schools on specific waste management initiatives and educational programmes.

Finally, BOFA's management will always be characterised by openness about environmental and working environment issues, both towards employees and the public.

Based on the above environmental policy, the following environmental goals have been created: 

BOFA operates six recycling centres across Bornholm:

• Rønne
• Aakirkeby
• Olsker
• Nexø
• Hazel
• Østermarie

What can be handed over?
Recycling centres receive approximately 50 different types of waste (fractions). These are either:

• Recycled
• Burnt
• Deposited

Recycling centres open around the clock
The recycling centres in Aakirkeby, Olsker and Nexø are open 24 hours a day for users who have signed up for the scheme.

History and structure
In August 1999, BOFA's controlled landfill was commissioned. The landfill is built with drainage and a membrane that fulfils the current requirements for a modern, controlled landfill.

Monitoring and cleaning
The level of pollution in the water discharged from the landfill is continuously measured. The contaminated water is sent to the Rønne-Hasle treatment plant where it is purified before being discharged into the sea.

Waste declaration
All waste weighed in at BOFA's controlled landfill must be declared according to the Landfill Order. Declarations and instructions can be obtained at the weighbridge on Almegårdsvej in Rønne.

The declaration must be completed by both the waste producer and the carrier and the following information must be provided:

Producers: Name, address, company registration number, contact person, telephone number and the classification and type of waste (if ticked).

Carrier: Name, address, company registration number, contact person and phone number.

Both parties must sign the declaration before the waste can be deposited.

What goes to landfill?
The controlled landfill is where waste that cannot be recycled or incinerated is deposited. Typically, this includes:

• Contaminated inorganic building materials
• Contaminated soil
• Sludge from wastewater treatment plants
• Asbestos
• Sorting residues from slag sorting

Landfill expansion
In 2012, the landfill was expanded to increase capacity. However, this capacity has been exhausted and BOFA applied to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency for authorisation to expand in height rather than area.

In 2021, permission was granted to raise the various cells up to a maximum of 12 metres above the current level. This means that the landfill will eventually become a fantastic viewing hill.

Read The environmental permit for the Waste Disposal Facility.

Read The annual report for the Waste Disposal Facility.

BOFA's incineration plant was commissioned in 1991.

The incinerator receives all waste suitable for incineration from the island. This includes:

• Household waste
• Recycling centres
• Environments
• Bulky waste collection
• Business organisations
• Institutions
• Seized drugs/hash and smuggling cigarettes etc.

Every year, approximately 20,000 tonnes of waste is received and incinerated.

The heat produced during incineration is sent to the heating network and supplies energy to both citizens and businesses in and around Rønne. BOFA's heat is prioritised for RVV (Rønne Varmeværk) and covers approximately 25 % of the annual heat consumption in Rønne.

The incinerator is in operation around the clock, every day of the year. There is always at least one employee on duty to monitor the incineration process and ensure that the furnace is working properly.

Inspection of the oven
Twice a year, a furnace shutdown is scheduled, lasting approximately one week. During this period, operations are interrupted and the kiln is cooled down to perform audits and necessary maintenance tasks.

When the stove is in operation, it has a temperature of around 1,000 degrees. It takes about four hours to stop combustion, at which point the stove is still around 800 degrees centigrade. It then takes about a day and a half for the stove to cool down sufficiently for internal inspections and any repairs to be carried out in the hottest areas.

What happens to combustion slag?
When waste is burned, incineration slag is created. This is the residue left over from the waste that cannot be burned. Every year, around 3,500 tonnes of incineration slag is produced.

The slag is sorted so that all metals larger than 0.9 mm are removed and recycled. After sorting out the metals, the slag is typically used in large construction projects. Here they replace large amounts of gravel or other virgin material that would otherwise have to be extracted from underground.

Cleaning smoke from the combustion process
The smoke generated during the combustion process is cleaned in a built-in flue gas cleaning system before being discharged into the atmosphere through a 75 metre high chimney. In the flue gas cleaning system, the smoke is treated with a lime product that effectively binds the harmful substances.

The smoke emitted is therefore as clean as possible. What you can see from the chimney is primarily a vapour plume consisting of water vapour. The residue from the cleaning process, called flue gas cleaning residue, is deposited at a specialised depot in Langøya, Norway.

Incinerator modernisationt
The incineration plant was extensively modernised in 2011-2012.
In 2019, a new economiser will also be installed. An economiser helps to utilise the last of the heat from the flue gas while stabilising the temperature of the flue gas before it enters the flue gas cleaning filter.
These upgrades ensured both higher environmental standards than before and stable operations that are expected to be maintained until the 2032 vision is realised.

Revised environmental authorisation of 2020

Revised environmental authorisation of 2016

BOFA's hazardous waste transfer station consists of a receiving station and a storage hall.

Hazardous waste is received here, such as:

• Cleaning agents
• Painting
• Waste oil
• Acids
• Bases
• Other harmful substances

The hazardous waste is weighed and registered, after which it is reloaded into approved transport packaging.

Once the waste has been transhipped, it is stored in the warehouse until it can be sent to an authorised recipient and processor off-island.

Hazardous waste is handled with a focus on maximising recycling while taking safety and environmental protection into account.

The recycling centre handles recycling:

• Paper and cardboard
• Bottles and glass packaging
• Recyclable plastic
• Sanitation
• Plaster of Paris
• Discarded fridges and freezers
• Discarded electrical and electronic equipment

Paper and cardboard
Paper and cardboard is pressed and baled before being sent to recycling companies off-island.

Bottles and glass packaging
Bottles and glass packaging glass are forwarded unsorted for re-melting and recycling overseas.

Recyclable plastic
Packaging plastic in the form of shrink wrap, pallet caps or bubble wrap is pressed into bales before being sent for recycling. 

Electronic waste
Electronic waste is temporarily stored in specially designated areas at the recycling centre until it can be forwarded for recycling overseas.

Refrigeration and freezer furniture
Refrigeration and freezer furniture is temporarily stored in specially designated areas until it can be forwarded to authorised reprocessing facilities. These facilities are qualified to safely capture and handle CFC gases.

BOFA handles the collection of waste from households and environments.

The task is outsourced and carried out in this tender by two subcontractors:

• Meldgaard: stands for household collection.
• Fugato: is responsible for emptying environments.

Dear reader

Welcome to the Waste Plan for Bornholm Regional Municipality for 2022 - 2034. With this waste plan, BOFA lays the overall framework for further work to fulfil the vision of a waste-free Bornholm in 2032. The waste plan is based partly on the national waste plan for the whole of Denmark and partly on Bornholm's own Vision 2032.
With the new waste plan and the initiatives that follow - initially sorting into up to 12 waste fractions in households - we are significantly closer to the sustainable society we all want.

To achieve the goals of the waste plan, everyone must contribute. Co-operation is the way forward. Whether you are a waste collector, contractor, company, organisation, citizen or child on Bornholm. Everyone is needed.

We will have to get used to many changes in the field of waste in the coming years, because it is absolutely necessary in a world with an ever-increasing population and limited resources. The waste plan for Bornholm Regional Municipality for 2022 - 2034 is one of Bornholm's contributions to meeting this challenge.

Happy reading

Sincerely yours

Jens Hjul-Nielsen
Director of BOFA

You can find the waste plan 2022-2034 and the associated environmental assessment from COWI at Leaf shelf