In an Australian first, Ikea’s Tempe store has announced its first take-back service, allowing St George and Sutherland Shire residents to bring back any of their old Ikea furniture in exchange for a store voucher for their recycling efforts.
The announcement comes as a response to findings from Ikea Australia’s annual People & Planet Positive Report 2018, which reveals that it’s possible Australians have thrown away 13.5 million pieces of furniture that could have been recycled, reused and repaired.
Ikea says it is adopting “circular economy thinking” by finding new ways to expand the life of its products.
“We want to do our part and take the lead in creating a waste-free and regenerative economy,” the Ikea Australia website states. “At Ikea Tempe, we’re committed to creating a more sustainable future.
“We have launched a new furniture take back pilot, encouraging customers to recycle unwanted goods and help the local community.”
Essentially, if you don’t want your Ikea products any more, the store is giving you the option of upcycling your unwanted goods instead of throwing them away thereby minimising the contribution to landfill.
If your item(s) qualifies for this service, we will reward you by providing you with a voucher to be spent at Ikea Tempe
“We know from our research that more than half the population have thrown out an item of furniture in the last 12 months, but that a quarter would have kept it if they knew how to repair or reuse it,” says Kate Ringvall, Ikea Australia’s sustainability manager.
“We want to make it easy for people to give their Ikea furniture a second life.
“With millions of customers shopping with us every year, we have an opportunity to make a real difference in helping build a more sustainable life within the means of the planet.”
Unlike the unpredictability of quality when it comes to buying from secondhand online listings, this service will ensure that all returned items are in good knick before being resold again to new customers.
“Our co-workers will ensure all of the pieces of the items brought back are… in good working condition before finding a new home,” explains Ringvall.
So how does it all work?
Ringvall explains: “When customers submit the photos of their item online via the Ikea Tempe Take-back page, they will start a conversation with an Ikea representative to ensure their product fits the criteria.
“The value of the voucher offered in exchange for the item will be up to 50 per cent of the retail price of the product. The assessment will be based on the condition of the item and how long ago it was purchased.”
Although this take-back service is only being piloted at the Ikea Tempe store, if the program proves to be successful the company will look to roll out the service nationally.
“This is part of a broader sustainability strategy where Ikea is aiming to be 100 per cent circular by 2030, meaning we will only use renewable and recyclable materials in our range,” Ringvall says.
