Ikea is moving to cut its single-use plastic packaging to zero by 2028, and the steps it has taken to do so set an example for other companies.
Its latest success is using fiber-based material to replace plastic, Packaging Dive reported in January. The Swedish furniture maker decreased plastic packaging of consumer goods by about 47% from fiscal year 2021 to FY 2023 and total plastic packaging by about 44%, as stated in its 2023 sustainability and climate reports.
Ikea is also focusing on reducing waste and reusing and refurbishing products to create "a more circular business," the news outlet noted.
Circularity, as explained by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, is perhaps the top priority of environmentally conscious companies. The overproduction and overconsumption of material goods are two reasons trash is piling up at landfills and waste is inundating Earth's oceans.
If we can reuse materials, that will help restore natural resources. Decreasing the amount of materials used is also essential.
There's a number of ways to implement these ideas. Companies such as Aldi and Burger King are taking steps to reduce their waste. Others, including Five Below and Ulta, have been called out for apparently destroying products to ensure maximum profits — though they also tout waste-reduction activities.
As an individual, you can join the circularity movement by buying secondhand, cutting back on purchasing single-use items, and even collecting rainwater.
Ikea is going further to ensure a sustainable future. In its report, the company said it has made progress toward using 100% renewable electricity in its stores and factories as well as with its suppliers.
These changes came after it said last year that it would spend more than $2.2 billion through 2026 to expand in the United States. To avoid contributing to the overheating of our warming world with such a massive investment, Ikea must continue to rid excess waste from its processes.
Ikea hopes to reduce the impact of its plastic use by focusing on recycled plastic, including "mass-balanced" chemically recycled polypropylene, and by adopting new recycling technologies and material sources, Packaging Dive reported.
"For products, the company said challenges include securing affordable feedstock and determining the climate footprint of 'renewable plastics, which is highly dependent on the type of feedstock, management practices, production location and process steps,'" the news outlet concluded, quoting Ikea.
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