Last year IKEA sold a stunning $1.3 billion worth of “sustainability” products – including lightbulbs, furniture and even solar panels – to customers across the world. According to the company’s recent sustainability report, these products help people reduce waste, save electricity, reduce water use and lead generally healthier lifestyles and it’s all part of IKEA’s commitment to providing ways to help customers live more sustainably.

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IKEA’stotal sales went up by 5.9 percent from the previous year, up to $32.1 billion overall.  “We have unique possibilities to inspire and enable millions of people to live a more sustainable life at home by offering sustainable and energy-saving solutions, affordable to all,” said Peter Angefjall, the company’s CEO. He added that the company itself is aiming to produce as much energy from their own renewable resources as they use by 2020. IKEA already produces 42 percent of its own energy from renewable resources, including 224 wind turbines and 700,000 solar panels.

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According to the report, IKEA is now selling electric bicycles in some stores, is expanding its home solar panel line and is investing in improved capacity and efficiency for its LED’s. In 2014, 75 percent of the lighting fixtures sold at IKEA were made with LED bulbs or were LED compatible.

Through IKEA’s Suppliers Go Renewable project, IKEA is working with its suppliers to help them become more energy-efficient in their own production, including helping them locate, install and use renewable sources of energy. “Project participants are saving an average of 15% of their energy use, with investment payback periods of as little as three years. In FY14, Asian Fabrics, a textiles supplier in India, achieved 100% energy independence after installing a 1.5MW PV array and four wind turbines with a 20 MW capacity,” the report says.

“The role of leaders is to set visionary targets,” Angefjall said. “We need bold commitments from policy makers about the direction we should move as a society.”

Via IKEA

Photos by IKEA