By 2030, IKEA intends for all the plastic used in their products to be recycled or renewable. With the hope of developing new sustainable solutions through cross-border collaboration along the entire value chain, IKEA has entered into partnership with the National Center for Sustainable Plastics at RISE.
“Where others see challenges, we see opportunities,” says Hoang Minh Nguyen, Material and Innovation Manager for Plastics and Metals at IKEA.
The National Center for Sustainable Plastics at RISE unites industry, academia, institutes, and trade organizations with the aim of collectively achieving freedom from fossil-based plastics and strengthening the market position of the Swedish plastics industry. With 460 stores worldwide, IKEA is a player capable of significantly reducing global use of fossil-based plastics. Now, the furniture and homeware giant is joining the center.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating climate change are commitments shared by many. At IKEA, these goals are a top priority. If we are to limit global warming, it is extremely important to embrace a collective approach, involving both industrial players, institutes like RISE, and the academy. Plastics is an area in which we need to place a substantial amount of our efforts,” says Hoang Minh Nguyen.
He explains that the center has been eagerly awaited.
“Finally, we have a common platform in Sweden where we can collectively address shared challenges across industries. A key advantage is the all-in-one deal. We gain access to different technologies, material development, and a big network of organisations all working with the same issues. We've already cultivated a strong relationship with RISE and are actively collaborating on a portfolio of possible solutions in the plastics field. Hopefully, we’ll soon get to expand this collaboration to include other partners within the center.”
Plastic waste: an enabler
The pursuit of sustainable solutions to replace fossil-based plastics has been a longstanding topic on IKEA’s agenda. They are currently exploring both recycled and biobased sources, as well as the future potential of carbon capture sources.
“To reduce our overall plastic consumption, we have decided to phase out our single-use plastics. Additionally, we've incorporated recycled plastics into our product range. But recycled plastics come with certain limitations. They may not always be suitable for food or children’s products, or items requiring transparency. Hence, we need to seek out new solutions for these cases, with biobased options appearing the most promising. The challenge extends to composite plastics, which are typically difficult to recycle. Nonetheless, plastic waste also presents significant opportunities. Currently, only 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled; doubling this figure could have a tremendous impact. We want to be part of that journey,” says Hoang Minh Nguyen.
Strength in numbers
He is optimistic that the center will effectively address and generate viable solutions to these challenges.
“I believe we've reached a point where large-scale collaboration is essential, focusing on specific pathways and decisions for the future. My hope is that the center will yield several solutions in the fields of mechanical recycling and material development that we can pursue together with the industry. Creating synergies is crucial, as tackling these issues alone is beyond the capacity of any single party. Hopefully we can also jointly monitor and influence policy makers, so that they to a greater extent support the transition into sustainable plastics. IKEA’s primary focus areas are developing products with durability, circularity, and a minimal residual footprint at the end of their life cycle. I hope that these three themes will form a shared agenda for the center.”
About the National Center for Sustainable Plastics
The National Center for Sustainable Plastics is open to both lone entrepreneurs and multinational, municipal or state companies in need of research into a sustainable plastic product. The center provides a platform where companies and organizations can benefit from expertise and infrastructure in areas such as material and product development, sustainability analysis, as well as education, external monitoring, and networking.
