About BURN Design Lab
BURN Design Lab: Revolutionizing Cookstoves for a Better World
Cooking is an essential part of our daily lives, but it comes with a cost. Traditional cookstoves that use solid fuels like wood, charcoal, and dung emit harmful pollutants that cause respiratory illnesses and contribute to climate change. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution from cooking kills over 4 million people every year.
This is where BURN Design Lab comes in. Founded in 2011 by Peter Scott and Winton Churchill, BURN Design Lab is a non-profit organization based in Washington State that designs clean-burning cookstoves for households in developing countries. Their mission is simple: to alleviate some of the world’s biggest problems by providing affordable and sustainable solutions.
BURN’s approach to design is unique because they involve the end-users in every step of the process. They conduct extensive research on local cooking habits, fuel availability, and cultural preferences before creating prototypes that are tested rigorously for performance and durability. This ensures that their products are not only effective but also culturally appropriate and user-friendly.
One of BURN’s flagship products is the Jikokoa™ stove – a portable charcoal stove that reduces fuel consumption by up to 50% compared to traditional stoves while emitting 70% less smoke. The Jikokoa™ has been sold in Kenya since 2013 and has already impacted over one million lives by improving health outcomes, reducing deforestation rates, and saving families money on fuel costs.
But BURN doesn’t stop at designing stoves – they also provide training programs for local entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses selling clean cookstoves. These programs include business management skills as well as technical training on how to assemble, market, sell, and service BURN stoves.
In addition to their work in Kenya, BURN has expanded its operations globally through partnerships with other organizations such as USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). They have designed custom stoves for refugee camps in Ethiopia and Uganda as well as commercial kitchens in Haiti.
BURN’s impact goes beyond just providing clean cookstove solutions – they are also committed to sustainability through their use of locally sourced materials such as clay pots or metal sheets which support local economies while reducing transportation costs associated with importing materials from abroad.
Furthermore,Burn's commitment towards sustainability extends beyond just product design - they have implemented various initiatives such as tree planting campaigns aimed at reforestation efforts around areas where deforestation rates were high due primarily due usage of traditional cooking methods using wood or charcoal-based fuels
In conclusion,Burn Design Lab's innovative approach towards designing sustainable solutions has made them one of the leading players within this space.They have successfully managed not only create an impact within communities across Africa but also globally through partnerships with other organizations.Burn's commitment towards sustainability coupled with its focus on involving end-users throughout its design process makes them stand out amongst competitors within this space.With Burn's continued efforts,it can be expected that more communities will benefit from access cleaner energy sources thereby improving health outcomes,reducing deforestation rates,and promoting economic growth within these regions