Zero-waste furnishings

By Daniela Walker 21 : 06 : 2016 Whole-system Thinking : Ikea : Sustainability

Stockholm – Ikea is using discarded plastic and glass to create products for its 2017 collection.

The Ikea design team was tasked with reducing waste throughout the brand’s supply chain
Chairs, vases and doors are made using recycled materials

While Ikea is not launching a complete overhaul of its production process, it is introducing small changes to new products that will be released in 2017. Its new Kungsbacka kitchen door is made from recycled wood and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) derived from discarded water bottles, and the plastic film that is wrapped around pallets of Ikea products during shipping has been recycled into desk mats.

For the Ikea PS 2017 collection, which is geared towards urban living, the goal was to create products with green credentials that could be mass-produced. The Ikea design team turned to the brand’s glass supplier in China to gather glass that had been rejected during the manufacturing process due to the presence of cosmetic defects such as bubbles. The glass was re-melted and turned into marbled vases by designer Iina Vuorivirta.

‘The Ikea PS Vase is a small but important step towards introducing circularity within Ikea,’ Vuorivirta explains. ‘It is beautiful and useful as an artefact, but it is also a statement towards more sustainable glass production.’

The Big Picture

Brands are moving to close the loop on their manufacturing processes and highlight their sustainability credentials as consumers become increasingly aware of their impact on the environment. For more, see our Inspire on H&M’s Global Change Award.