IKEA Australia has released its 2023 Sustainability Report, highlighting its most recent achievements and actions as part of its long-term commitment to make a sustainable life at home more accessible and affordable.
The annual report outlines the progress IKEA has made on its sustainability strategy, including the transition to become a circular business and becoming climate positive by 2030.
In 2023, IKEA Australia accepted over 22,500 pre-loved IKEA products through the Buy-back service, which were resold or donated; sold over 640,000 products through the As-is department, including pre-loved products, products previously on display, discontinued, returned items and products with minor cosmetic damage; repacked over 230,000 products through a dedicated Product Recovery & Quality team; fulfilled 32,280 orders for free spare parts and recycled 3,000 mattresses through its mattress recycling service, where up to 75% of components can be recycled.
IKEA Australia sustainability manager, Renea Robson said, “At IKEA, it’s about giving everyone, everywhere the chance to enjoy a better life at home, where sustainability and affordability go hand-in-hand for our customers, while never compromising on product quality.
“Research we conducted for this report confirmed that living a more sustainable life at home is important to the majority of Australians. We also know that saving money is a motivating factor for people to make more sustainable choices in the home, along with concern for climate change and future generations.
“In the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, we are dedicated to showing Australians how they can make better choices that are easy and affordable, while lightening the load on our shared home – the planet.”
The launch of the report coincides with the one-year anniversary of the IKEA Sustainable Living Shop, which launched across 10 stores. The Sustainable Living Shop is a dedicated space that offers products, solutions, services, tips, and advice that helps customers minimise waste and use less water and energy in the home. In 2023, IKEA Australia sold 28 million items from the Sustainable Living Shop.
The report also features new research, revealing a significant shift in the consumer perceptions of affordable and sustainable living with more than three-quarters (77%) of Australians agreeing that living a more sustainable life helps save money, up from 52% in 2022.