HEMNES Wall shelf, white, 42x118 cm

“We formed an online group where the members got to take part of the whole process, from the idea stage to prototype testing”, says Karolina Hötzeneder who worked with the project. “This way we got suggestions and direct feedback from people who knows how to make the daily life work, but don’t work as product developers.”

The first post in the group was ‘What would you like to do with HEMNES?’ Nearly 30 suggestions were sent in. Lina Säfström was one of the most active contributors. She lives in a rented apartment in a small town in the south of Sweden. “I think I have the same needs as other people in my situation,” says Lina. “That’s why I suggested a space-efficient laundry basket that you can sit on. Comfortable when you brush your teeth or paint your toenails.”

The group got to vote for which solutions they should continue with. Lina’s idea became one of them. It later evolved into HEMNES storage bench. Apart from the storage bench, the group created three other products; an open wash-stand, a wall shelf and a high cabinet with glass doors. “This way of working has been a bit like playing ping-pong – ideas back and forth in a fast pace,” smiles Karolina Hötzeneder. “It has also shown that more people mean more ideas. And that you can solve more everyday problems when you work together.”

Forests contribute to maintaining balance in the atmosphere, purify the air that we breathe and are part of the water cycle. They nourish wildlife biodiversity and provide homes for indigenous communities who depend on forests for their livelihoods. 90% of plant and animal species living on the planet need forests to survive. They provide sources of food, fuel, timber and many other ecosystem services that we rely upon. Sourcing approximately 19 million m3 of roundwood per year from some 50 countries, IKEA has a significant impact on the world’s forests and the timber industry and a huge responsibility to positively influence how wood is sourced. Responsible wood sourcing and forest management ensure that the needs of people dependent on forests are met, that businesses can work sustainably, that forest ecosystems are protected and biodiversity is enhanced.

At IKEA, we work with strict industry standards to promote responsible forestry. We don’t allow any wood in our supply chain from forest areas that are illegal or contain high conservation values or from forest areas with social conflict. Before starting to work with IKEA, suppliers must demonstrate that they meet IKEA critical requirements on wood sourcing. IKEA requires all suppliers to source wood from more sustainable sources (FSC-certified or recycled wood). All suppliers are audited regularly and non-compliant suppliers are required to implement immediate corrective actions. By working together with our suppliers, we are proud to announce that we have reached our more sustainable sources goal, which we set out to achieve by 2020. Today more than 98% of the wood used for IKEA products is either FSC-certified or recycled.

As pressure on the world’s forests and the surrounding eco-systems increases due to unsustainable agriculture, the expansion of infrastructure and illegal logging, it is time to take an even more holistic approach to protect and support these important resources for generations to come. The IKEA Forest Positive Agenda for 2030 set out to improve forest management, enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change and support the rights and needs of people who depend on forests across the whole supply chain and drive innovation to use wood in even smarter ways. The agenda focuses on three key areas: • Making responsible forest management the norm across the world. • Halting deforestation and reforesting degraded landscapes. • Driving innovation to use wood in smarter ways by designing all products from the very beginning to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured, and eventually recycled.

For many years, IKEA has partnered with businesses, governments, social groups and non-governmental organisations to fight forest degradation and deforestation and increase the volume and availability of wood from responsibly managed forests both for our own supply chain and beyond. We are on a journey to improve global forest management and make responsible wood sourcing the industry standard, contributing to building resilient forest landscapes and improve biodiversity.