Reducing waste

Thinking in circles

At IKEA, we always look for ways to make more from less. But to help our customers create a better life at home, in a world where resources are scarce, we have to up our game. We need to rethink everything from the materials we use, to how we power our stores, and how we can make our products live longer in a cycle of repair, reuse, and recycle. Throughout our value chain, we aim to use renewable and recycled resources as efficiently as possible, to make sure that we create value rather than waste. And, when you bring the products home, we want to help you make them live longer, or give them a new life when you no longer need them.

Doing things right from the start

To make the world a more sustainable place we have to begin somewhere. By planning for our products’ next life at the design stage, we get a head start. To make more from less, we also use materials that are renewable and recycled and from more sustainable sources. Our products must last as long as they are needed and be easy to care for, repair, reuse, reassemble and recycle. The better we do this, the better for people and the planet.

A second, third or even fourth life. Maybe your new PLATSA storage will start its life as a media bench in the living room, to then transform into a wardrobe under the slanting ceiling of the bedroom ─ and then a few years later become the home to all outerwear in your new hallway. With PLATSA storage system, we wanted to create a simple yet beautiful solution, that can follow you on all the winding roads of life.

Give things another chance

At IKEA, we want our customers to love and care for our products as long as possible – and even if they don’t, we do. Across our network of stores, we try smarter and more planet-friendly ways to prolong the life of our products. In Belgium for example, we offer our customers five options to give furniture a second life: selling old IKEA-furniture in the store, renewing it by repainting or reassembling, repairing by offering replacement parts, returning old furniture through our transport service and donating to social organisations.

On a global basis, we offer all customers replacement parts, and most markets have mattress takeback initiatives where you can return your old mattress when buying a new one. Seize the opportunity to breathe new life into your old furniture or give it a new life in our care.