IKEA Korea puts end to single-use plastic straws in its stores, replaces with sustainable materials

As part of the ‘People & Planet Positive Strategy’ announced in June 2018, IKEA aims to remove all single-use plastic products from the IKEA home furnishing range globally, and from customer restaurants, bistros and cafes in stores operated by INGKA Group by 2020.

To inspire and enable the many people to live a better everyday life within the limits of the planet, IKEA Korea is putting an end to the use of 1.5 million plastic straws annually from its restaurants, bistros and cafes. Instead, the company will offer paper straws which are both biodegradable and recyclable. By end of August 2019, IKEA Korea seeks to move even further and remove all single-use plastic items from its restaurants, bistros and cafes.

André Schmidtgall, Country Retail Manger at IKEA Korea, said, “Single-use plastic can greatly damage ecosystems when it is not disposed of responsibly,” adding, “we are determined to play our part to reduce climate impact and contribute to a world without waste. We invite our customers to join us in our meaningful step towards creating a healthy planet.”

Under its vision ‘to create a better everyday life for the many people’, IKEA is committed to enabling a sustainable life at home and creating positive impact on people and planet. Through IKEA Food, the company has launched the ‘Food Is Precious’ initiative to raise awareness on food waste and cut food waste in its food operations by 50% by end of FY2020. With aims to offer food that is delicious, sustainable and nutritionally balanced, IKEA Food carefully selects ingredients that have been certified to meet standards of environmental and social responsibility. The introduction of Veggie balls, organic certified coffee and jams, and the commitment to source seafood from farms certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or fisheries certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) are part of IKEA’s efforts towards food from sustainable sources.