Biofuel Waste is Bliss

The message of the project

The 'Biofuel Waste is Bliss’ project redefines the use of ashes from bioenergy waste streams and creates entirely new formulations and materials. The goal is to find a potentially sustainable solution for these residues, such as circular and healthy interior and exterior ceramic products.

The idea behind the project 

Agne Kucerenkaite is a designer and the originator of 'Ignorance is Bliss,' a continual research-based design initiative that transforms industrial waste and secondary materials into higher-value interior and outdoor items. Marija Spokaite is an environmental scientist whose previous work sought to create cost-effective, reproducible, and safe CO2 capture, storage, and use solutions.

The collaboration intends to avoid greenwashing, which can lead to unsustainable behaviour. As a result, they want to develop the story around guaranteeing that the final goods use trash in the most ecologically friendly way possible, as well as verifying the truth of their sustainable promises.

Agne Kucerenkaite, a material developer and product designer who uses waste as the primary material source, is always on the lookout for unexpected potential industrial leftovers. CO2 extraction and renewable energy are popular subjects right now, so Agne was talking about it with a longstanding colleague, Marija Spokaite. Marija, who works in environmental science and is a beginner ceramist, would occasionally share comments, ideas, and recommendations. Marija mentioned a concern that is circulating in the scientific community: tonnes of ash remain after biomass incineration.

According to the International Energy Agency (2018), more than 10 million tonnes of ash are produced globally from bio-based energy generation, with the majority of it being landfilled.

In an effort to find a purpose for such waste, the idea of incorporating it into pottery arose. This is a logical solution because wood ash glazing goes back to 1500BC in China and was the first glaze used in East Asia (containing only ash, clay, and water). It has gained popularity in Asia and is being used by international craftsmen today.

The 'Vilnius Heat Plant' generates energy mostly from forestry leftovers. They create around 460 tonnes of wood ash trash every month, which is expensive to dispose of.

Although the ashes are non-toxic and so might be upcycled, only a tiny portion of the trash is repurposed for road fillers. 'Vilnius Heat Plant' will contribute to the project by providing trash as well as the necessary technical knowledge. The project study will be organised around the following themes: the use of various types of ash in glazes and clay bodies; experiments to increase embedded carbon; and lowering the carbon footprint in production.

What next?

Following the experimental stage, Agne and Marija will concentrate on refining biofuel-ash-based formulations and locating industrial makers of tiles, bricks, and/or other architectural surfaces willing to implement the concept at scale. They will also seek to incorporate other worldwide bioenergy firms and adapt formulae to fit other comparable waste streams (e.g. biochar production).

They will recover the value of ash in a functional, efficient, and scalable manner, resulting in a high-quality, visually beautiful, and generational ceramic collection. The line will have a distinct appearance and feel and will be made entirely of ethical materials. Natural ash-based glaze colour palettes are soothing to the eye and mix in wonderfully with their surroundings.

The project is at the crossroads of three significant EU initiatives: green energy transition, carbon removal technologies, and circular economy.