Reuse, repair, recycle, reimagine: living more sustainably with IKEA

At IKEA, we’re on an exciting journey to become a circular business by 2030, making healthy and more sustainable living accessible and more affordable to people around the world. We’re reimagining how we do things, from how and where our materials are sourced, to how our products are designed, transported, sold and – eventually – recycled. Like anything worthwhile, it’s a process filled with new challenges and adventures, but we’re well on our way to helping create a better everyday life for people and the planet.

Grouped plants in SESAMFRÖN pots and a CHILISTRÅN hang planter on HYLLIS shelving units by a white brick wall.

Let’s start at the very beginning

Becoming a circular business starts right at the product development phase. Every product must be designed to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured and eventually recycled. So far, we’ve assessed more than 9,500 products for their circularity capabilities, giving us a clearer vision of where our current capabilities lie. The next step is to put all our products through the same process.

A red NIKKEBY chest of drawers with a red heart embroidered on it and a pink SLIBB flexible laundry basket on top.

A woman sits on a medium-blue BLÅKULLEN bed. Behind a room-dividing combo of a plant swath and a curtain sits a man.

A softly crumpled TÅNUM multicolor rug placed on a grey-tiled floor.

Today’s remnants are tomorrow’s rugs

The TÅNUM rug is handmade using remnants from IKEA cotton textile production, which would otherwise have been discarded. Aside from repurposing waste, it also means that no two rugs are exactly alike!

More sustainable choices, on a budget

No visit to an IKEA store would be complete without popping by at the As Is section. Here, you’ll find returned items, floor samples, end of range and discontinued pieces, all at a fraction of their original price. We’re dedicated to giving every piece we make as long and useful a life as possible, and this is one of the ways we’re making sure we do that.

Live more sustainably on a budget

A woman and a man lifting one end each of a blue bed frame, moving it through a hallway.

Live more sustainably on a budget

A woman and a man looking through a display of wrapped products in a store.

Pro tip: opt for second-hand where you can

Never forget that the most sustainable furniture is the furniture that already exists, so buying returned or pre-loved pieces isn’t just more wallet friendly – it’s better for the planet too!

Buying back for a better future

In 2020, 30.5 million products were sold through As Is. The next step? To make it easier for IKEA customers to resell their good quality second-hand items back to us. So far, we’ve introduced our Buy Back program in a number of IKEA markets.

A dining area in white shades with two white MELLTORP tables, white MELODI pendants and different-color LEIFARNE chairs.

A store interior with a woman sitting on a table and a man standing next to it.

A new home for your older pieces

Need a bigger dining table? Selling your old one back to IKEA gives it a second life and you some extra money to put towards your next purchase.

Three cheers to longevity!

A super important part of ensuring the longevity of our products is by designing pieces that can be repaired, upgraded and adapted to suit the different stages of a person’s life. Whether it’s modular furniture that can be added to, sofa covers that can be removed completely, or standardizing our parts to make them even easier to repair and replace, we’re always finding new ways to give products a longer (and more useful!) life.

By a blue and white wall filled with art stand a red-and-white, polka-dot KLIPPAN two-seat sofa and a BURVIK side table.

A kitchen with ENHET cabinets, a white MELLTORP table, different-color LEIFARNE chairs, and a white NISSAFORS trolley.

Make it your own with ENHET series

Not only can you add units as you need them, the ENHET bathroom series is also easy to disassemble, making it a total breeze to move along with you – wherever life may take you!

See the ENHET bathroom series