Three cornerstones of IKEA environmental work
• Cost consciousness and resource efficiency.
We use fewer raw materials and create less waste and discharge.
• The extensive use of wood in our products.
Wood is a recyclable, biodegradable and renewable material – an excellent material to use from an environmental point of view.
• Training co-workers and engaging them in environmental issues.

Resource efficiency
IKEA insists on minimising costs. That means we have to work economically with raw material, energy and other resources. As a consequence, we often reduce waste and discharges. Being economical when selecting raw material is second nature for a product developer at IKEA. Since we develop products ourselves – often in close co-operation with suppliers – we can monitor all aspects of a product’s life, from choice of raw material through production and distribution. When possible, leftover material from one product is used in the manufacture of another product.

Forestry
IKEA does not accept timber, veneer, plywood or layer glued wood from intact natural forests or from forests with a clearly defined high conservation value. Our long-term goal is to source all wood in the IKEA range from verified, well-managed forests that have been certified according to a forest management standard recognized by IKEA.
Wood is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, so it’s a good material from an environmental point of view, provided that it originates from well-managed forests.

Training co-workers
Throughout the IKEA Group, environmental coordinators work in different ways to increase environmental awareness. They train and inform their colleagues continuously on environmental issues.