Packaging is a key component of the IKEA
business model and an important enabler for affordability, sustainability, and safe
handling. To combat plastic waste and pollution, IKEA has already significantly
decreased the amount of plastic used in packaging solutions. Today, less than
10% of the total volume of packaging material used annually by IKEA consist of
plastics. In closing
the remaining gap by removing plastics from consumer packaging solutions, IKEA
will continue the movement towards only using renewable or recycled materials.
“Phasing out plastic in consumer packaging is
the next big step on our journey to make packaging solutions more sustainable
and support the overall commitment to reduce plastic pollution and develop
packaging from renewable and recycled materials. The shift will happen
progressively over the coming years, and mainly be focusing on paper as it is
both recyclable, renewable, and widely recycled across the world” says Erik
Olsen, Packaging & Identification Manager at IKEA of Sweden.
On an annual
basis, IKEA spends over 1 billion Euros on approximately 920 000 tonnes of
packaging material. The movement away from plastic in consumer packaging will
require the engineering of new solutions, as well as close collaboration with
product development teams and IKEA suppliers across the world. Plastic packaging
might remain in some parts of the IKEA food range where it is needed to secure
quality and food safety standards beyond 2028, in which case it will come from renewable or recycled sources.
“Ingenuity is part
of the IKEA heritage, and packaging is by no means an exception in that regard.
Shifting away from
plastic in our consumer packaging solutions will doubtlessly be a challenging
task in the coming years. With this movement we aim to spur packaging innovation and use our size and reach to have a positive impact on the wider
industry beyond our supply chain,” says
Maja Kjellberg, Packaging Development Leader at IKEA of Sweden.
About IKEA
IKEA offers well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. There are several companies with different owners, working under the IKEA Brand, all sharing the same vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943.
