Gunvor Marie Kirkelund

Gunvor Marie Kirkelund is an Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering. Her research focuses on sustainable waste management, resource recovery, and innovative construction materials. She specializes in valorizing waste ashes (e.g., sewage sludge ash, MSWI fly ash) for use in building products like bricks and mortar. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities, responsible consumption, and climate action.

Key areas of research include circular economy strategies for carbon-intensive materials, electrodialytic remediation of toxic elements, and carbon sequestration in waste-derived materials. She leads projects such as GREENCO (education for green construction sector transformation) and collaborates internationally on Arctic engineering education. Awards include the DTU Annual Award for Teaching Innovation (2017) and the DTU Internationalization Award (2017).

Dr. Kirkelund supervises PhD students in resource recovery and waste valorization. Recent projects highlight applications of wind turbine blade waste in mortar, Greenlandic clay in bricks, and CO₂ sequestration in mineralized waste ashes. Her work bridges environmental engineering, materials science, and policy to advance sustainable construction practices globally.