Ikea has announced that all its 26 stores in the UK and Ireland will no longer serve single-use plastic straws.
The furniture giant is looking to make the change by October this year and forms part of a wider global transition to ban the straws by 2020.
“The world is changing at a rapid rate and bold, urgent actions are required to meet the sustainability challenges we are facing,” Ikea UK & Ireland country sustainability manager Hege Sæbjørnsen said.
The move is just one plank in Ikea’s ambitious People and Planet Positive strategy, which outlines wholesale changes to the way its business operates. Ikea is looking to incorporate circular economy principles across its entire supply chain, adopting only renewable or recycled materials in all products by 2030.
“Plastic pollution is one critical issue to urgently address for a more sustainable future and is something our customers and co-workers are actively passionate about.
“By responding and acting quickly to remove single-use plastic straws, we hope to fuel the energy behind this movement and empower people to see the hundreds of other small actions we can all take in our daily lives to have a positive impact on the precious world around us, ” Sæbjørnsen added.
Ikea is offering customers sustainable alternatives to reduce the impact of single-use plastics. Recycled plastic packaging, glass and bottles are already in use across its stores. The company was given an environmental award at this year’s World Economic Forum for its extensive work to reduce its carbon footprint.
The multinational has sought to make the transition to clean energy and its latest sustainability report details how it now uses the equivalent of 73 percent renewable energy across its global presence.
