i + D - March/April 2020 - 40

Sustainable Innovators - By Anna Zappia

Ikea's Förändring
homeware collection is
part of the company's
Better Air Now initiative,
which combats air
pollution by turning rice
straw, a harvesting residue
that contributes to air
pollution when burned,
into a raw material.
(Image: Ikea)

Guiding Principles
The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is a
nonprofit organization comprising a coalition of
manufacturers, retailers, and designers dedicated
to increasing the adoption of environmentally
sustainable practices across the home furnishings
industry. Founded in 2006, it now boasts
400 member companies and has partnered on key
initiatives designed to benefit both corporations
and the general public. Its "What's it made of?"
initiative is designed to increase transparency
in supply chains and reduce the use of harmful
chemicals in the manufacturing of furniture.
The Wood Furniture Scorecard is another helpful
tool, an assessment of retailers' policies for
sourcing wood.
Susan Inglis, executive director of the SFC,
notes that website traffic is evenly split between
end-users and businesses, with savvy shoppers
driven to learn more about what they are buying.
However, she also notes some resistance on
the commerce side. "Consumers are often
more concerned and more aware than industry
professionals. I think there is a myth that it's
hard to adopt the practices for sustainability or to
go green in your design practice," she explains.
"Sustainability is a journey, and we need to
approach it that way and celebrate each step
we take."

Ikea's collection that turns
rice straw into raw material
and then into homewares
is scheduled to launch this
spring in India, where air
quality continues to decline.
(Image: Ikea)

Clearing the Air
Indeed, for many consumers, their first experience with
sustainable options for their homes will happen at the retail
level. And at Ikea, the world's largest furniture retailer, that
connection is taken very seriously. The Swedish retailer's
sustainable efforts include a focus on one of the most pressing
global environmental issues: air pollution. In 2018, the company
launched the Better Air Now initiative in an effort to combat
air pollution by turning rice straw-a harvesting residue that
contributes to air pollution when burned-into raw material.
The retailer decided to begin the project in India where
air quality continues to decline. IQAir, a global air quality
information and tech company, found that 21 of the world's
30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India, according to
the data presented in IQAir's 2019 World Air Quality Report.
Ikea's Förändring collection of homeware includes vessels,
lampshades, and mats crafted from rice straw. The collection is
scheduled to launch first in India this April, and Spain, Poland,
Sweden, and Germany are to follow through the rest of the
year and into early 2021.
The Ikea team is betting on Förändring being successful based
on feedback from consumers looking to be environmentally
responsible. Lena Pripp-Kovac, chief sustainability officer of
the Inter Ikea Group, notes that a 2019 survey from Ikea, in
collaboration with market research firm GlobeScan, found that
a majority of people would like to live a healthier and more
sustainable lifestyle, but it's perceived to be too expensive.
"At Ikea we believe sustainably produced products should
be affordable for the many, not a luxury for the few, and we
believe that we have an important role to play here,"
Pripp-Kovac says. "Given our size and reach, we have the
ability to make a positive impact and inspire others to be part
of addressing this issue."

40

i+D - March/April 2020
i + D - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i + D - March/April 2020
