IKEA to buy 150-plus balers for its growing scrap volumes

Sweden – Homeware giant IKEA aims to recycle over 90% of the waste from its own operations by 2020, according to the company’€™s latest sustainability report.

In fiscal year 2016, the company generated 560 650 tonnes of waste via its operations worldwide, of which 88% was recycled or incinerated for energy recovery. It achieved an 80% recycling rate in retail, 81% in distribution centres and 80% in its furniture production division IKEA Industry.

By August 2020, the company is aiming to achieve 90% materials recycling or energy recovery from its operations, with 80% coming from its stores and distribution centres. Meanwhile, the objective will be for 90% materials recycling of the waste from IKEA Industry.

To handle its rapidly-growing scrap volumes more efficiently and to reduce transport costs, IKEA is continuing to invest in equipment. The company is planning to introduce ‘more than 150 balers’ across 16 countries by 2019.

But while the focus has been on increasing its recycling efforts, more emphasis will be put in future on cutting waste volumes, the company states. Waste from IKEA stores accounts for some 77% of the company’s total waste, which the retailer aims to cut ‘by 10% by 2020’.

Also by 2020, IKEA is aiming to reduce food waste volumes from its restaurants by 50% and to send 90% to be recycled or turned into a resource such as compost or biogas.