Ikea launch new sustainability plan

Ikea has committed to using only renewable and recycled materials in its products by 2030.

Currently, 60% of the Ikea range is based on renewable materials, while nearly 10% contain recycled materials.

They have also pledged to remove all single-use plastic products from the Ikea range globally and from customer and co-worker restaurants in stores by 2020, designing all Ikea products with ‘new circular principles.’

They have also said their food menu will get an overhaul, with new ‘plant-based’ choices as well as a veggie hot dog launching later in the year.

Inter Ikea Group CEO, Torbjörn Lööf, said: ‘Our ambition is to become people and planet positive by 2030 while growing the Ikea business. Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet.’

To reduce the total Ikea footprint by an average of 70% per product they say they will work together with home furnishing suppliers across their factory operations. They also say they will offer solar panels in 29 markets, up from five which currently offer the product.

Lena Pripp-Kovac, sustainability manager, said: ‘Becoming truly circular means meeting people’s changing lifestyles, prolonging the life of products and materials and using resources in a smarter way.

‘To make this a reality, we will design all products from the very beginning to be repurposed, repaired, reused, resold and recycled.’

At this year’s Democratic Design event, held annually, Ikea demonstrated several new solutions and innovations that they say will enable people to save water, clean the air in their homes and use products made from innovative and recycled materials. These include a tap nozzle can save more than 90% of water used and the development of textiles that will help purify air in the home.