Being a large business comes
with large responsibilities

Choosing materials for us is about making responsible decisions. When we’re not able to use renewable resources, we aim for recycled or recyclable ones. In all that we create, we strive to keep prices low and quality high. But it’s not just about the materials. It’s about the people, production, and transportation too. And, there’s always room for improvement. By working with others and challenging ourselves, our goal is to secure long-term access to sustainable raw materials and change the way the industry works. 

Keep reading for a closer look at some of the materials in our products.

Wood

Wood is fundamental to IKEA - it makes our furniture age beautifully, making them durable enough to last for generations. But forests are fragile and sensitive to how we treat them. Today, all our wood is sourced in compliance with the IWAY Forestry Standard, which bans wood from sources involved in forest-related conflicts or illegal harvests. The size of our operation means we have great ability and responsibility to protect the world’s forests. By 2020, 100% of our wood will be FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified or from recycled sources. We’ve already almost reached 80%. The FSC standard protects ecosystems and people’s livelihoods.

Read more about how we work with wood

Natural fibres

From water hyacinth to cork, banana fibers, and rattan, the use of natural fiber materials is increasing at IKEA. Not only are they natural and renewable, they also have great character, making each final product quite unique. A majority of this production is non-industrial. We work closely with weavers and craftsmen and women in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China amongst others. Working with skilled artisans from around the world opens up doors for co-creation, inspiration and new production knowledge as well.

Scrap/Recycled

We use recycled materials whenever possible. Wood, plastic, paper, and metal are just a few that we love to work with. We differentiate between scrap and recycled materials - scrap refers to the leftover material from another production, while recycled is when we’re able to reuse material from old products. But, it’s more - it’s a way of thinking and developing products too. We aim to design in ways that allow you to recycle products at the end of their lifetime, thus minimising waste. That’s why we’re constantly looking for new ways to use scrap materials and recyclables and turn them into something useful and stylish for your home, like with KUNGSBACKA kitchen fronts.

Read more about “Value, not waste”

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