Towards a circular life with Ikea

The year 2030 marks the goal for many companies to transition into fully circular businesses, including Ikea.

Affordability is a two-edged sword for the furniture titan. On the one hand, it makes the brand’s products immensely popular, but on the other – coupled with the Singaporean tendency to flip houses every so often – it has also been seen as one of the most disposable furniture brands.

A recent study by Accenture and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore titled Sustainability in Singapore – Consumer and Business Opportunities shows that 35 per cent of consumers would pay 10 per cent more for sustainable products if they had more information about their purchases’ impact on sustainability.

We chatted to Tariq Oumarkatar, country sales manager of Ikea, about what the company has been doing to reach its 2030 goal. 

Can you share some of the shifts in consumer buying habits you’ve observed these past few years? 

As we transition into a post-pandemic world, we have noticed an increasing interest in work-from-home solutions, especially as flexible working arrangements have become part of the new normal. In fact, home office sales during the last two years increased by around 37 per cent compared to 2019. 

The definition of a home has become more important than ever before. We’ve noticed increased sales of our kitchens this year, possibly due to rising interest in healthy living.

As everyone continues to spend more time at home, it has given us an opportunity to also provide better storage solutions for everyone to make the best of space in every corner of the home. 

Ikea is seen as one of the most disposable furniture brands thanks to its affordability, so how does the brand plan to address this? 

We aim to be a circular business by 2030 and are committed to designing circular products by ensuring that every product is designed to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured, and eventually recycled. 

We are also committed to using only renewable or recycled materials by 2030. By using durable, quality materials and giving products a longer life through reusing, recycling and reselling, Ikea is focusing on eliminating waste and encouraging the continual use of resources.

We are constantly striving and continuing our efforts to embrace a circular economy and promote sustainable consumption, for example, through designing products that can be re-invented and refreshed in many ways to reduce waste, such as our Klippan sofa with removable and washable covers. 

 We also offer solutions for customers to help prolong the life of their home furnishings. For example, our store has an As-Is section where we sell display items and returned furniture at a discounted price. We also offer free spare parts to help people fix their furniture at home. 

In April, we launched an incentivised programme with Carousell to reward customers for buying and selling second-hand Ikea products on the platform. We are constantly exploring new ways to make circularity convenient and accessible to the many. 

Tell us about some of Ikea’s products specifically designed to meet this demand for sustainability.

At Ikea, sustainability is about balancing economic growth and positive social impact with environmental protection and renewal. We do this in various ways, from offering products made of renewable materials or natural fibres like bamboo, ensuring that our textiles are responsibly produced in a sustainable industrial environment, and partnering with social businesses.

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For instance, the Odger Chair is made from renewable wood and recycled plastic. Frojered kitchen fronts are made from sustainable bamboo, with a lightweight recycled paper core and plant-based glue. The Frakta carrier bag is also made from more recycled plastic and lesser new materials. 

We also design our products to be more durable, energy-efficient, and better for the planet, enabling customers to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases while significantly reducing waste and saving money in the long run.

We have phased out all non-rechargeable alkaline batteries, and now we have the Ladda rechargeable batteries. Since 2015, we’ve also switched our entire lighting range to energy-efficient LEDs to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases. Our Solhetta bulb range is more affordable and 35 per cent more energy efficient than the previous range of Ikea LED bulbs. 

The Ladda rechargeable batteries.

Can you share some tips for homeowners to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

Use smarter products made with more sustainable materials and products that can help us save more energy and water at home.

Some examples of more sustainable products include our Toftlund rug made from recycled PET bottles.

Switch to LED light bulbs, which can use up to 85 per cent less energy and last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Doing so helps to save energy, reduce waste and save on costs.

Visit Ikea for more information.