IKEA Canada has officially phased out all single-use plastic straws

May 1 2019, 8:23 pm

IKEA Canada has sold its last plastic straw.

The retailer giant announced today it has phased out all single-use plastic straws in Canada, nine months ahead of its global commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics from its product range and restaurants by January 1, 2020.

“Plastic straws have become an important symbol in the global movement to drastically reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways,” said Melissa Mirowski, Sustainability Specialist, IKEA Canada. “Together with our co-workers and customers, we are proud to take this significant step to contribute to a world without waste.”

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Eliminating single-use plastics is part of IKEA’s wider commitment to become a fully circular business by 2030.

The home furniture retailer, which operates 14 stores across Canada, says it plans on transforming its current linear business model by designing products with re-use, repair, repurposing, and recycling in mind from the beginning.

IKEA Canada says it plans on using only renewable, recycled and recyclable materials, eliminating waste, and introducing services which connect with customers to extend the life of products.

As single-use plastics are phased out, according to the news release, IKEA Canada will seek to introduce more sustainable alternatives, including new, biodegradable paper straws in both its product range and restaurants.

IKEA’s sustainability commitments include, but are not limited to:

  • Designing all IKEA products to be 100% circular, generating as little waste as possible
  • Making all IKEA products and packaging from renewable and recycled materials by 2030
  • Achieve zero emission home delivery by 2025
  • Inspire and enable more than 1 billion people to live a better everyday life within the means of the planet by 2030
  • Phase out virgin fossil plastics from products by 2030
  • Reduce food waste by 50% by 2020

Contributing to a more circular business model, IKEA Canada launched its Sell-Back program in November, enabling customers to sell back their “gently-used” products back to the retailer, recycling second-hand products through resale and/or donations.

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