IKEA and Ellen MacArthur Foundation enter strategic partnership to accelerate the circular economy transition

IKEA is committed to becoming a circular business by 2030. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a global thought leader on the circular economy. The strategic partnership announced by Inter IKEA Group and Ellen MacArthur Foundation today will focus on putting the home furnishing business on the global circular map and accelerating the transition to a circular economy within IKEA and beyond. The shared ambition is to create lasting impact on a global scale and drive transformation towards a circular society.

“To become circular is one of our big ambitions and challenges for the future. It is a transformational shift for our entire business. Our goal is to give products and materials a longer life through reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and, as a last option, recycling. We believe this requires leadership and collaboration. We are very happy to work with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to both advance our own transition and to make the circular economy a central part of the home furnishing industry. One of our first projects together will be to develop a global common dictionary on circular economy that can support an industry-wide transition”, says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Chief Sustainability Officer, Inter IKEA Group.

Already today, IKEA has made progress towards becoming a circular business; the first refurbishment tests took place in FY19. Sofas were refurbished and resold, providing knowledge for future scaling potential. IKEA is also exploring services enabling customers to acquire, care for and pass on products in circular ways. IKEA has developed circular product design principles for the development of all products, with the ambition to only use renewable and recycled materials by 2030. Today, more than 60% of the IKEA product range is based on renewable materials, like wood and cotton, and more than 10% contains recycled materials. By the end of FY19, the overall share of polyester in textile products being recycled reached 59%. rPET is used in products including rugs, curtains, roller blinds, bedding, pillows, quilts, sofa cover, as well as storage boxes and bags.

“We are delighted to partner with IKEA, who share our belief that through the circular economy, businesses can play a vital role in meeting many of the challenges we face today, such as climate change, waste and pollution. The circular economy empowers businesses to rethink how they create value, in ways that benefit the environment, society, and the economy. This is an exciting opportunity to help transform an industry that is not only a significant part of the global economy, but has such a strong, personal connection to individuals and communities around the world”, said Andrew Morlet, CEO at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Through this partnership IKEA and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will be:

• Developing global definitions which are key to enable a circular economy that are fact-based, transparent and easy to understand and follow-up
• Advocating for circular design and inspiring a new generation of designers
• Impacting legislation to accelerate the transition to a circular economy
• Promoting circular offers to our customers and inspiring new behaviours