Being Sustainable Everyday at Home with IKEA

The small choices that we make at home everyday can help us live more intentionally. Being sustainable everyday at home with IKEA has helped me on this journey.

This post is sponsored by IKEA.

Sustainable Living is an Everyday Journey

Being sustainable everyday is a lifelong journey. At no point will we just “arrive” and be sustainable. It takes small step after small step added up again and again.

Sustainable Everyday with IKEA

We all know IKEA for their items that easily help us make our homes beautiful. However, they are going beyond just selling more sustainable products. IKEA is implementing processes and helpful

• IKEA offers over 2,300 products that help everyday people save energy, reduce water usage, and sort waste
• 60% of IKEA products are made with renewable products
• IKEA is becoming more circular and climate positive while practicing and accomplishing these goals:
  • 54 rooftop solar arrays atop 90% of their US locations, producing 58 million kWh of energy (as of FY19)
  • 143 EV (electric vehicle) charging stations at 51 IKEA locations
• 2 wind farms producing 859 million kWh of energy in Illinois and Texas (as of FY19)
• 2 solar parks with 403-megawatt capacity in Utah and Texas (49% stake)
• Ambition for 100% electric home deliveries nationwide by 2025
• 2 geothermal systems at stores in Colorado and Kansas
• IKEA transitioned its entire lighting range to LED in 2010
• 98% of wood in their product range comes from more sustainable sources (either FSC certified or recycled content)
• 100% of IKEA seafood is ASC and MSC certified
• Introduced a plant-based meatball alternative in 2020, following their introduction of the veggie ball in 2015

My Favorite Sustainable IKEA Finds

• HÅLLBAR recycling bins – they help me sort trash, recycling, and compostable materials all in on place instead of all over my house.
• IKEA 365 glass containers with bamboo lids – I harvest and cut the veggies from my garden and store them in these clear glass containers with the beautiful bamboo lids.
• TIPHEDE rug – I must admit that we have 4 in the house haha! These rugs are made from 100% cotton from more sustainable sources (i.e. recycled or grown with less water, fertilizers, and pesticides). They’re also super lightweight and easy to wash and clean.
• Wood, wood, wood! – My son’s room is decked out in wooden furniture from IKEA. Well made wooden products last a long time when they are taken care of, and they can be reused to make new items once their current purposes served. Some of the wooden IKEA furniture in my son’s room include the TARVA bed frame, FLISAT book display and wall storage, and the POÄNG kid’s armchair.

Use These Sustainable Living Tips on Your Journey

1) Create your own waste and recycling station!

I got these HÅLLBAR recycling bins because my recycling situation was not organized at all. I had glass bottles and random stacks of paper all around the house that needed to go to the outdoor recycling bin.

At first glance it’s like, “Cool, you’re organized now!” But looking deeper, I know that these bins are made from recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic. My home recycling station IS recycled!

Here is how I organize my waste and recycling station:

• The tall bin holds trash.
• The tiny bin on top of the tall bin holds same day compost – if compost is placed in this bin, it has to be placed in the outdoor compost tumbler on the same day so that it doesn’t go bad. Otherwise, it needs to be refrigerated or frozen.
• The medium bin beside the trash bin holds plastic and glass bottles, as well as metal cans.
• The small bin on top of the medium bin holds paper and cardboard.
• Any large recyclable boxes will need to be put out immediately instead of piling up in random spots waiting to be broken down.

2) Use and fix what you already have

Using what we have, and then reusing it in creative new ways, can extend the lives of the products that we already own.
IKEA creates products that can grow with you in order to last longer, such as extendable beds. You can transform IKEA pieces on your own, such as turning a chair that you’ve outgrown in style into a plant stand by removing the chair back. If you don’t want to completely change it, you can refresh pieces with paint or covers.

3) Store your leftovers in clear glass containers

Food waste is a huge issue worldwide. Estimates say that up to a third of the world’s food supply goes to waste each year. That’s a huge amount of waste in itself, let alone for a product that takes so many resources to create! Something that has helped me is storing food in clear glass containers. Clear containers help me see what is inside so that I can remember to eat it soon. Glass containers allow me to warm food up inside of them, in the microwave or in the oven, instead of having to create more dirty dishes.

Final Thoughts on Being Sustainable Everyday with IKEA

I’m always so happy to partner with and share with the Old World New community companies that are going above and beyond in their sustainability efforts. We no longer have time for doing the bare minimum. Personally, there’s only so much we can do before we need the companies that supply us with the things we love to get on board and do the same. From investing in renewable materials and energy to more sustainable production, IKEA is creating products that make it easier to be sustainable everyday. Visit your local IKEA or the IKEA website to explore sustainable home product options – from glass bowls to water efficient faucets 0 the next time you need items for your home!

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