IKEA accelerates transformation in direction of recycled polyester
IKEA is committed to ending reliance on virgin fossil materials and using only renewable or recycled materials by 2030
In 2019 IKEA announced the goal of converting all pure polyester into recycled textile products by the end of 2020. Replacing all native polyester with recycled polyester is an important step on the path to transforming it into a circular business and meeting the goal of only using recycled or renewable materials by 2030.
With the milestone of reaching 90% for textile products in 2020, the company will accelerate the transition to its goal of using only recycled polyester in its entire product range.
At the end of 2020, IKEA was converting around 100,000 tons of new polyester to recycling in textile products. With these volumes, IKEA is one of the industry leaders in converting virgin material into recycled polyester by volume.
“We knew that ending our reliance on new polyester in textiles by 2020 was a bold goal. Although we haven’t reached 100% yet, we’ve made a big leap forward. We are continuing on our path to end our reliance on virgin polyester and focusing our efforts on the product range where the change will have the greatest impact, ”says Nils Månsson, Head of Materials and Innovation Supply at IKEA in Sweden.
Polyester is one of the most widely used fibers in the world, accounting for about half of the total fiber market and about 80% of all synthetic fibers. IKEA is committed to using its size and influence to drive positive change in the industry by inspiring others to see the switch to recycled materials and enable more sustainable living at home.
IKEA is committed to ending reliance on untreated fossil materials and using only renewable or recycled materials by 2030. Based on calculations, IKEA has estimated that the amount of new polyester replaced by recycled material in 2020 made it possible to reduce CO2 emissions from the polyester used by 45%. This reduction amounts to approximately 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of the annual emissions of 61,000 cars.
“With our size and volume, we know that our decisions can inspire and motivate entire industries to change. By replacing all pure polyester with recycled material in our production, we are reducing our carbon footprint for polyester by half and hopefully making recycled materials the new normal. Offering sustainable products at affordable prices will be the key to our path to becoming climate positive and circular. The choice for the customer should never be between sustainability and low price. “Says Caroline McGarvey, Sustainability Manager, Comfort category at IKEA in Sweden.
