Buy Back
Ikea has previously announced a mission statement to become climate positive by 2030. Today it rolled out its ‘buy back’ initiative across the UK, buying back and reselling customers’ second hand items, to avoid them ending up in ‘landfill’.
Ikea Idea
This should come as a delight to a great many, especially younger student buyers and short term renters, who only ever had a temporary use for their furniture, and who can now benefit from a small return on their purchase – although in general purpose vouchers, not cash.
Amongst the same audience will be plenty of undiscerning customers who would quite happily have paid less for second hand, had the offer been more readily available.
As UK shopping become more thrifty, more people are thinking about the impact of unsustainable practices on the planet. As a result, second-hand markets are thriving.
It does make sense for a company as large as IKEA to introduce recycling schemes and support a more mindful way of living. This approach may reduce some new sales, but it helps in meeting changing customer expectations.
However, IKEA likely had little choice. If the company ignored these changes, it risked falling behind as attitudes started to shift away from a buy-new, disposable culture. We have seen the same shift happen with supermarket shopping bags, many of which still end up polluting the environment.
Plastic Pollution At Sea
Ikea has achieved something phenomenal over its 78 year reign, but they didn’t do it by putting structural integrity first. They made shopping for furniture easy, affordable and portable. They also guaranteed a degree of timeless style that wouldn’t likely offend the discriminating sensibilities of judicious house guests. All this besides, product longevity is not exactly their forte.
So, is recycling enough? How often can we realistically reuse a typical IKEA unit? Many items use low-cost chipboard, and some even use cardboard. If the piece has already spent its first life in student digs, its lifespan may be limited.
Recycling sends the right message, but it may not be the complete solution. The bigger issue is the way we desire cheap, short-term products that we can easily replace.
Being Mindful
A more mindful choice is to invest in furniture that is built to last. High-quality pieces can survive for decades. They can move between owners, get resold, and even pass on through generations. Good furniture does more than avoid waste; it keeps its value over time.
I expect we’ll hear more from Ikea over the coming years about the manufacturing processes themselves. In a bid for greater transparency, customers will want to know more about where, how and with what materials their products are made, and by who. This has certainly been the subject of rising concern in the fashion and clothing industry. We want to feel good about our purchases, and if compromises have to be made, then we at least want the details so we can factor them into our decision making.
That’s not to say there won’t be plenty of wilful ignorance regarding a product’s origins. Without this, the demand for sausages would surely take a dive.
A Global Stance
In terms of furniture, one should fairly be able to ask, are the materials sustainably sourced, or are we contributing to reckless deforestation? How many components are being flown in from across the globe, contributing to dangerous carbon emissions?
And, taking a global stance, can we really feel proud of a business model that exploits cheap labour abroad, only for the goods to be packed into shipping containers, transported halfway round the world, branded and sold at western prices? And OK, maybe this work provides a vital lifeline for those in need, but it doesn’t feel especially ‘wholesome’ to me.
Responsibility
Companies as large as IKEA have a responsibility to sort these issues. They have also benefited from the disposable culture they helped to create.
It is encouraging to see Ingka Group, IKEA’s parent company, commit €4 billion to renewable energy. If consumers don’t always make sustainable choices, companies can still take action. They can invest some of their profits in carbon offset programmes or other environmental initiatives on behalf of their customers.
This approach may even feel better effective. Many people hesitate to donate £1 to charity because they are unsure it make a big difference. However, when a company reduces a cost and gives the savings to charity, customers may see the impact more clearly. Employed carefully, this model could create positive change.
Alternatives
The main issue comes down to trust. Can we trust big, often faceless companies to protect the planet when profit remains the key priority? Their mission statements may sound inspiring, but many still question their motives.
The alternatives, however, can feel unrealistic. Sustainable choices often either cost more or require a complete off-grid lifestyle. Therefore, we need a sensible compromise.
Governments are likely to introduce stricter regulations to encourage companies to act more responsibly. We welcome IKEA’s efforts to take action early however recycling low-cost furniture may not be enough.
It will be interesting to see what more IKEA can do. The company has to maintain its reputation for convenience while adapting to a more sustainable future.
Our Role
Finally, what does this mean for us at Jali? Well, we’re not quite the size of Ikea, but we do have lots we are doing – and more we’d like to do – to become fully carbon positive. We all have our roles to play, as consumers and as corporations, and we believe that by improving our ethical manufacturing we can (wait for it) help make the world a better place!
N.B. This has inspired me to write a round up of all the ways in which customers can proudly buy Jali, so expect this soon. For transparency, and to avoid the flannel you hear from a lot of other companies, we’ll do our best to get the authoritative figures for all our claims too.
