IKEA is working to change all plastic used in its products to plastic based on recycled or renewable materials by 2030.
Initiated in 2016, IKEA has collaborated with Neste in an ongoing project to eliminate virgin fossil-based raw materials in its plastic products.
This collaboration has allowed IKEA and Neste to turn waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and sustainable vegetable oils into polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) plastic.
The production of bio-based plastics will be based on Neste’s 100 percent renewable hydrocarbons and the pilot at commercial scale of PP and PE plastic, which will start during fall 2018, has chosen to contain 20 percent renewable content.
IKEA will use the new plastic in products that are part of the current product range, such as plastic storage boxes, starting with a limited number of products and as capacities improve, more products will follow.
Erik Ljungblad, Category Manager Plastic Products at IKEA of Sweden, said: “This new material represents a significant step towards a fossil free future. No one has ever before been able to produce PP plastic from a fossil-free raw material other than on a laboratory scale. Together with Neste, we are ensuring that there is an opportunity to scale up the production of this material.”