Can IKEA Save Its Future by Selling Trash?
The company is attempting to appeal to growing demand for sustainability
You’d be forgiven for assuming Ikea’s best-selling product is its meatballs (full disclosure: not a fan). In fact, the company’s biggest hit is the humble Billy bookcase. Ikea sells one from its famous blue and yellow gates every 5 seconds. An unfortunate consequence of this staggering volume is that a Billy bookcase is also just as likely to end up in landfill every 5 seconds.
The company has long drawn criticism for its impact on the planet. To mass-produce its products — products that are not known for durability — it consumes vast resources, space and relies on a long supply chain. So when Ikea launched its Sustainability Strategy at the start of 2021 and announced that the company aimed to use 100% renewable energy by 2025 and be climate positive by 2030, it was met with some skepticism.
But despite some critics claiming this is another case of a global corporation guilty of greenwashing, Ikea appears to be serious about reducing the impact of its operations, and is turning to the circular economy for the answer.
The Trash Collection
According to the European Environment Bureau, consumers and businesses across Europe throw over 10…
