Ikea takes part in forest protection initiative
Global home furnishings retailer Ikea is working to ensure the sustainability of the wood used in textile products it sells.
Sweden-based Ikea is joining the CanopyStyle initiative from Canopy, a global non-profit environmental organization working to protecting forests, species, and climate. CanopyStyle is dedicated to keeping wood harvested from ancient and endangered forests out of the supply chain for fabrics like viscose (a cotton/polyester alternative) and rayon for fashion and home fabrics.
As part of the initiative, Ikea will only purchase fabrics sourced only from wood producers that have achieved the highest ranking in forest sustainability from Canopy. The company will also work to shift to fabric sourcing from lower-impact alternatives to wood.
“At Ikea, we are guided by our forest agenda and want to ramp up our work to further enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change and drive innovation to use wood in even smarter ways – as the pressure on the world’s forests continues to grow. In this endeavor, we are glad to work closely with Canopy and all of the retailers united through this initiative,” said Lena Bischoff, material & innovation area manager, Inter Ikea Group. “The home textiles sector needs to step-up and ensure that the forest-derived textiles, like viscose and lyocell, only come from responsibly managed forests, and make a shift towards lower-impact alternatives.”
“We are thrilled to have the globally-iconic company Ikea join Canopy and commit to forest protection as part of their textile sourcing practices,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy executive director. “Our work with Ikea heralds a new era for the lower-carbon and forest-friendly sourcing of viscose for home products and furnishings. It will allow all of us to sleep more comfortably with vital forests kept out of the supply and next gen alternatives scaled in our bed sheets and beyond.”
The CanopyStyle initiative now has over 520 participating global brands. See the IKEA Canopy policy here.
Ikea offers U.S. furniture buyback and resale
In another sustainability initiative, Ikea offers a furniture buyback and resale program at select U.S. stores. The program accepts fully assembled and functional Ikea furniture, with all items will be reviewed for condition, age and functionality. The returned items will be made available for resale in Ikea’s “as-is” section at discounted prices. Recalled products and some product categories are not eligible for the program.
Ikea also operates a Sustainable Living Shop at all U.S. stores. This dedicated section in each store is designed to make it easier for customers to shop for sustainable products and provide solutions and tips to make green living easier and more affordable.
[Read More: Walmart, H&M, Ikea launch climate change initiative]