IKEA to stop selling single-use plastics by 2020

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has announced today that it will remove all single-use plastics from its entire product range and in-store restaurants globally by 2020.

This is part of a series of commitments the multinational said would “inspire and enable sustainable living” by making it easier for people to reduce their climate impact and waste.

The company has pledged to only use renewable and recycled materials by 2030, and will incorporate circular economy principles into the design of all new products.

IKEA also said it would become ‘climate positive’ during that time by reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than its value chain emits, cutting each product’s climate footprint by an average of 70%.

“Becoming truly circular means meeting people’s changing lifestyles, prolonging the life of products and materials and using resources in a smarter way,” Inter IKEA Group sustainability manager, Lena Pripp-Kovac, said.

“To make this a reality, we will design all products from the very beginning to be repurposed, repaired, reused, resold and recycled.”

The new commitments were announced at IKEA’s Democratic Design Days in Älmhult, with the firm revealing that it hopes to achieve zero emission home deliveries by 2025.

It also said it would expand its offering of affordable home solar energy solutions to 29 markets, and provide services that make it easier for people to bring products home and pass on to others.

On its climate positive target, IKEA said it would reduce its climate footprint by capturing and storing carbon within the value chain and working with home furnishing suppliers across their entire factories.

In addition, the company announced that it would increase the proportion of plant-based choices in its restaurants, such as the veggie hot dog launching globally in August this year.

“Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet,” said Inter IKEA Group CEO, Torbjörn Lööf.

“Change will only be possible if we collaborate. We are committed to taking the lead working together with everyone – from raw material suppliers all the way to our customers and partners.”

Image credit: iStock