PRODUCTS & MATERIALS

SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN

For more than 60 years, IKEA has been perfecting ways of creating attractive, durable and functional products.

Our business goals are ambitious, but they cannot be achieved at any price. That is why for every single product we make, we ask several key questions:

SAFER MATERIALS

There's simply no room for hazardous chemicals and substances in our products. From the initial design through to the final stage in production, we make sure the materials that go into our products are safe for the people who make them, and for the families that live with them.

WISE USE OF RESOURCES

IKEA products are designed to use the fewest resources possible to make quality products. The raw materials used in IKEA products are wood, cotton, metal, plastic, glass and rattan and we try as much as possible to use renewable and recyclable materials.

EARTH FRIENDLY RAW MATERIAL PRODUCTION

We make certain, for example, that our wood comes from responsibly managed forests and that the origin of the plastic we use meets with IKEA's strict requirements. Similarly, we're working to ensure that the cotton that goes into our products comes from sustainable sources. Together with the WWF, we are teaching cotton farmers in Pakistan and India production techniques that use water more efficiently and essential pesticides and fertilizers more safely.

OUR E-WHEEL TEST

Every product needs to pass our e-Wheel test. It is our way of taking social and environmental responsiblity and helps us understand and evaluate the environmental impact of our products by focusing on: materials, manufacturing, distribution, use and end of life. And if we see any red flags along the way, then we take the product right back to the drawing board.

IKEA DESIGNERS DO MORE WITH LESS

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At IKEA, it’s about designing the price tag first, and constantly looking for fresh solutions and innovations to optimize the use of materials and make products as flat as can be while having as little impact on the environment as possible.

WASTE NOT. Words to live by for designers who do more with less.

BETTER PARTICLEBOARD

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In 1997, in cooperation with other furniture and particleboard producers, IKEA developed a new type of particleboard specially designed for furniture. With this new material, the use of raw material was reduced by 85,816 tons. Annually, this resulted in 2,800 less trucks for transportation due to lower cargo weight, easier customer merchandise handling, and reduced costs and prices.

BANNING CFCs AND HCFCs

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IKEA is continually reviewing and revising substances in its products. For example, ahead of many others, IKEA banned the use of Freon (CFCs) and HCFCs. These substances are man made and are found to have a severe impact on the ozone layer.

NO HEAVY METALS IN CERAMIC OR GLASS

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We’re proud that none of our ceramic products or drinking glasses contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Although Health Canada allows trace amounts, IKEA has none.

AS LITTLE FORMALDEHYDE AS POSSIBLE

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Formaldehyde is a common chemical compound present in for example water, fruit and wood, but it can also be added through industrial processes. To avoid health problems, we want the formaldehyde emission levels in IKEA wood products to be equal to the levels of natural wood. So, first we cut formaldehyde-based lacquers (1993) from our products. Next, we removed formaldehyde from glue systems used to glue veneer surfaces on furniture. DAVE laptop table, for example, has a fibreboard top that has contributed to cutting formaldehyde emissions by nearly 40% in recent years. The levels are now significantly below EU requirements.