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Swedish retail giant Ikea says it will stop selling single-use plastic products by 2020.

It says the ban will apply across all its global stores.

Ikea says in future, it will design products to be able to be repaired, resold or recycled.

Its move follows hard on the heels of an announcement by the European Union that it plans to ban plastic items including straws, cotton buds, cutlery, balloon sticks and drink stirrers.

Single-use plastics can be very damaging to marine life.

The move is part of its plan to design all Ikea products with the aim of using only renewable and recycled materials and to achieve zero emissions by 2025.

It will also increase the number of non-meat meals and snacks in its restaurants.

Torbjorn Loof, chief executive at Inter Ikea Group, said: "Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet.

"We are committed to taking the lead working together with everyone - from raw material suppliers all the way to our customers and partners."</s>A&W Canada announced Friday that it will ban plastic straws, saying the move will save about 82 million of the single-use products from landfills each year.

The company made the announcement to coincide with World Oceans Day, adding they will be eliminated from stores by the end of the year.

It claims to be the first major fast food restaurant chain in North America to make the move.

READ MORE: Man begins 6-month swim across Pacific Ocean — and through 1,600 km of trash

“Reducing waste from landfills is a top priority for A&W and this is one big way that we can make a difference,” Susan Senecal, CEO of A&W Canada, said in a press release.

Once plastic straws are phased out, the restaurant will use paper straws that are sustainably sourced and biodegrade within three to six months.

A&W Canada follows several other companies and governments around the world who have pledged to reduce plastic waste, and specifically eliminate straws, in the past few months.

Several independent restaurants have recently made the promise as well.

Among the companies promising to ditch plastic is IKEA, which said it plans to phase out single-use plastic products from its stores by 2020 in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint.

READ MORE: Ikea plans to ban single-use plastic products by 2020

Last month, the European Union announced proposed plans to ban plastic products like cotton buds, straws and stir sticks.

It is expected to be a topic at the G7 summit in Quebec on Friday as well.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants the other leaders to sign on to a zero-waste plastics charter, setting international deadlines for eliminating plastic waste and committing to helping the developing world meet similar deadlines.

WATCH: Plastic straw ban? Trudeau will look to G7 leaders to take the lead

Trudeau released his own statement on Friday to mark World Oceans Day.

“This year, World Oceans Day coincides with the first day of the G7 Summit, where Canada will bring together world leaders and heads of international organizations to fight climate change and preserve the health and resilience of our oceans, coasts, and seas,” the statement read.

The Trudeau government has not made a formal commitment yet to eliminate plastic waste, but is currently asking Canadians to weigh in on the issue of plastic waste in an online discussion.

READ MORE: Canada reducing (but not banning) use of plastics at G7 in Quebec

Greenpeace Canada has been pushing for more action on the issue. The organization says the plastic pollution crisis has hit an epidemic level and Canada already produces more garbage per capita than any other developed country.

“We want Trudeau and the other G7 leaders to know that in order to get to the real heart of the problem with plastic pollution they really need to address it at the source, and one way to do that is to ban single-use plastics,” said Greenpeace Canada plastics campaigner Farrah Khan.

— With files from The Canadian Press</s>Ikea has promised to eliminate single-use plastic items from its home furnishings and food services operations by 2020.

The Swedish home furnishing giant says it will stop using products such as plastic straws, plates, cups, freezer and garbage bags.

It will also be phasing out the use of disposable plastic in their in-store restaurants.

These changes are expected to take effect by the end of 2019 across 29 countries, including all Canadian locations.

This move is part of a corporate commitment to environmental sustainability, including prolonging the life cycle of products and switching to exclusively renewable or recycled packing materials by 2030.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, Canada produces more garbage per capita than any other developed country. Canada has made plastic reduction a key priority for this week’s G7 following British Prime Minister Theresa May’s move to ban single-use items like plastic straws and cotton swabs in the U.K.

Single-use plastic has become increasingly recognized as a major source of pollution. In 2016, world plastics production totalled around 335 million metric tons. A study from UC Santa Barbara estimated 4.8 million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans annually.</s>SINGAPORE: Swedish furniture giant IKEA will stop selling single-use plastic products such as straws, cups and freezer bags by Jan 1, 2020.

This would apply across all its stores globally, as part of its new commitments to promote sustainable living, IKEA said in a news release on Friday (Jun 8).

"IKEA recognises that single-use plastic can harm wildlife and pollute oceans and waterways when it is not disposed of reasonably. We are determined to play our part and take responsibility in the areas where we can make a difference," said the company.

The announcement came as part of the annual Democratic Design Days held in Almhult, Sweden, where IKEA designers displayed home furnishings made from recycled materials as well as solutions to help people live more sustainable lives.

This year, IKEA unveiled plans to be "climate-positive" by 2030. These include plans to pack products in materials that are renewable or recycled, and increase the proportion of plant-based choices in meals offered at IKEA.

Currently, 60 per cent of the IKEA range is based on renewable materials, while nearly 10 per cent contain recycled materials, an IKEA spokeswoman told Reuters. 



IKEA Southeast Asia, the franchise that owns and operates all IKEA stores in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, will also be contributing to the cause.



Single-use plastic products that will not be sold by 2020 include SODA drinking straws, SÖTVATTEN drinking straws, FÖRNYBAR freezer bags, ISIGA ice-cube bags and FÖRSLUTAS garbage bags.

"It takes grit and determination to build a sustainable business, and we are on the way. We are actively integrating sustainability into every function and all aspects of our everyday work," said IKEA Southeast Asia sustainability director Lars Svensson.



“Most importantly, we are inviting our customers to join us in the journey. Through our solutions, we hope to see millions more people take little steps at home to save energy, reduce and recycle waste and conserve water."</s>Ikea said Thursday it will stop selling single-use plastic products in its stores and remove them from its restaurants by 2020.

The Swedish furniture giant said the new policy will apply across all of its stores globally. This means Ikea will be phasing out products like disposable plastic straws, plates and garbage bags, and that customers will soon need to eat the company’s famous meatballs without plastic cutlery or plates.

The move is part of a larger sustainability initiative by Ikea. The company said it wants to become “planet positive” by 2030, and aims to purchase 100% renewable energy by 2020, achieve zero emissions on deliveries by 2025 and start using only renewable and recycled materials in its products.

“Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet,” Inter IKEA Group CEO, Torbjörn Lööf, said in a statement.

Ikea has previously invested about $2 billion into renewable energy, according to CNN Money, installing 750,000 solar panels on its buildings and building 416 wind turbines.

As the problem of plastic waste around the world has gotten worse, many countries and companies have begun to ban single-use plastic items. Ikea’s decision comes shortly after the European Union announced last week its plan to ban single-use plastic items such as drink stirrers, cutlery and straws. However, there has also been pushback on the bans from some in the disability community, as plastic straws can be a necessity for many disabled people to drink independently.</s>TORONTO — IKEA is promising to eliminate all single-use plastic products from its home furnishing range by 2020.

The retail giant says that includes straws, plates, cups, freezer bags, garbage bags and plastic-coated paper plates and cups.

The company says the move is part of a global commitment to the environment, which includes looking for new ways to work with renewable and recycled materials and prolonging the life of products and materials.

IKEA Group says it will also phase out single-use plastics used in customer and co-worker restaurants, bistros, and cafes by the end of 2019.

IKEA has 13 stores in Canada, and has plans to open new stores in Quebec City and London, Ont.</s>Ikea has announced a global commitment to remove all single-use plastic products by 2020 as part of its updated sustainability strategy. The strategy, known as People and Planet Positive, also includes a commitment for all of its stores around the world to become climate positive and reduce the total Ikea climate footprint by an average of 70 per cent per product.

“Our ambition is to become people and planet positive by 2030 while growing the IKEA business. Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet” says Inter IKEA Group CEO, Torbjörn Lööf.
• Increasing the proportion of plant-based choices in the IKEA food offer, like the veggie hot dog launching globally in August 2018

“Becoming truly circular means meeting people’s changing lifestyles, prolonging the life of products and materials and using resources in a smarter way. To make this a reality, we will design all products from the very beginning to be repurposed, repaired, reused, resold and recycled”, says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Sustainability Manager.

To become climate positive, IKEA will reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than the value chain emits by drastically reducing the climate footprint of the products and operations in absolute terms, capturing and storing carbon within the value chain and working together with home furnishing suppliers across their entire factories (not just the manufacturing for IKEA). In addition, IKEA will enable customers to save and generate renewable energy at home.</s>Swedish retail giant Ikea says it plans to phase out single-use plastic products from its stores by 2020 in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint.

The plastic ban will take place across all its stores and restaurants, and includes products such as plastic straws, plates, cups, freezer bags, bin bags, and plastic-coated paper plates and cups.

READ MORE: Canada reducing (but not banning) use of plastics at G7 in Quebec

The move is part of its larger plan to design all Ikea furniture using only renewable and recycled materials by 2030.

Currently, 60 per cent of the Ikea range is based on renewable materials, while nearly 10 per cent contain recycled materials, an IKEA spokesperson said.

“Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet,” Torbjorn Loof, Ikes’s CEO, said in a statement.

“We are committed to taking the lead working together with everyone – from raw material suppliers, all the way to our customers and partners.”

WATCH: Pressure mounts on Canada to devise solution to stop plastic pollution

Ikea said it would also roll the sale of affordable home solar solutions to 29 markets by 2025. In total, there are 418 Ikea stores across 49 markets around the world.

The announcement comes on the heels of other retailers and restaurants taking action against disposable items such as plastic drinking straws, cups and bags, which accumulate in the environment and harm marine life.

WATCH: Swimmer begins record Pacific Ocean crossing in effort to expose plastics in world’s waters

Last month, the European Union announced proposed plans to ban plastic products like cotton buds, straws and stir sticks.

The plastic ban topic will also be top of mind for world leaders as they gather at the G7 summit in Quebec on Friday.

READ MORE: Whale dies after 80 plastic bags found crammed in its stomach

The plastics charter is to be a centrepiece element of the summit, which will focus on a high-level policy approach for reducing the amount of plastic in the oceans.</s>No more plastic with those Swedish meatballs.

Ikea said Thursday it will phase out all single-use plastic products from its shops and restaurants by 2020.

The Swedish furniture giant said it will stop selling single-use plastic products like straws, plates, cups, freezer bags, garbage bags, and plastic-coated paper plates and cups.

Its restaurants will also stop giving out plastic straws, cups, plates, cutlery, drink stirrers and plastic containers for freshly prepared food.

The company announced the ban as part of a broader sustainability strategy, in which it committed to become “people and planet positive by 2030.”

Ikea said it is aiming at purchasing 100% renewable energy by 2020, and use only renewable and recycled materials in its products. It also wants to make its home deliveries zero emission by 2025.

It has already invested €1.7 billion ($2 billion) into renewable energy projects. It is planning to build 416 wind turbines and has already installed around 750,000 solar panels on IKEA buildings.

“Through our size and reach we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than one billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet”, said Torbjörn Lööf, the CEO of Ikea’s parent company Inter IKEA Group.

Related: Big businesses are saying no to plastic trash

Plastic, with its low cost and wide range of possible uses, has become one of the world’s most popular materials. Its use increased 20-fold in the past 50 years and is expected to double again in the next 20 years.

But the environmental costs are monumental. Research shows there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the world’s oceans by 2050.

On a global basis, only 14% of plastic is collected for recycling. The reuse rate is terrible compared to other materials — 58% of paper and up to 90% of iron and steel gets recycled

The European Union announced last week it wants to ban 10 single use plastic items, including plastic straws and cutlery, that make up 70% of all litter in EU waters and on beaches.</s>By 2020, if you order “Nordic fruit water ” with your vegetarian meatballs at one of Ikea’s in-store restaurants, you’ll no longer be able to drink it with a plastic straw. The company will stop using single-use plastic including straws, cutlery, and drink stirrers in its cafes. (It already uses silverware most of the time, but occasionally supplements it with plastic forks and spoons). It will also remove single-use plastic products, like garbage bags and 200-packs of straws, from the shelves of the store.

It’s a small part of the company’s sustainability strategy. Ikea is already planning to phase out virgin oil-based plastic in its products, moving to either plastic made from renewable materials or recycled plastic. It was the first major retailer to stop using plastic bags, in 2007. It invested in a plastic recycling plant in 2017 to help with that goal.

By 2030, the company aims to only use renewable and recycled materials in everything it sells. It will offer solar panels in more stores, sell more plant-based food, buy 100% renewable energy by 2020, and will offer zero-emissions home deliveries by 2025. It’s reducing emissions in line with the goals of the Paris agreement, with plans to become climate positive by 2030–meaning that it will reduce emissions beyond the amount its value chain creates.

The goals for plastic make it a leader among retailers. “I think the approach of Ikea is interesting in that they take a full-systems perspective,” says Sander Defruyt, who leads the New Plastics Economy initiative at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, an organization that helps companies transition to a circular economy. “They recognize the need to eliminate some of the most problematic or unnecessary plastics where possible, and at the same time, also make sure that they decouple the plastics they do use from virgin fossil fuel plastics by using recycled plastic as much as possible and for the remainder switch to renewables. It’s a nuanced and quite comprehensive strategy.”

Ikea is not alone. The European Union plans to ban around 10 plastic items that commonly end up as ocean waste, including plastic knives and forks, straws, and cotton buds. Miami Beach and Seattle have passed bans on plastic straws. Alaska Airlines is replacing plastic straws and stirrers with versions made from birch and bamboo. Companies like Unilever and Walmart have committed to shift to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging. The U.K. grocery chain Iceland will stop using plastic packaging on its own brand of products. France has a roadmap for a circular economy that includes plans to recycle 100% of plastic by 2025. India has ambitious plans to ban single-use plastics by 2022.

Over the last few years, and particularly in the last six months, there has been “an exponential curve” of action on plastic in the global economy, says Defruyt. “It’s obviously never happening fast enough, we don’t have time to lose, but it’s great to see it’s really picking up and all of these commitments are in the market now.”
IKEA announces that it plans to phase out single-use plastic items by 2020, and intends to move toward sustainability in its product design.