Ikea to serve plant-based meatballs in push to cut emissions
Ikea will start selling plant-based meatballs that have a carbon footprint 25 times less than that of the group’s classic pork-and-beef ones as the flat-pack retailer seeks to slash its emissions by testing ideas such as renting out or refurbishing its furniture.
The world’s largest furniture retailer will start selling the vegan meatballs, which are made from pea protein, oats, apple and potato, in August. They are designed to “look like meat and taste like meat,” unlike Ikea’s first attempt at vegetarian balls.
Ikea launched veggie hotdogs, which have a seventh of the climate footprint of meat ones, at the end of 2018 and sold 10 million in the first year, and started to sell plant-based strawberry ice cream.
The move toward more plantbased food is part of an overhaul of IKEA’S business model as the retailer aims to become “climate positive” by the end of 2030 by reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than it emits.
Last year marked the first that Ikea managed to reduce its absolute emissions while increasing revenues. Sales increased 6.5 per cent in the year to the end of August 2019 while emissions from Ikea’s materials, production, supply chain and use of products decreased 4.3 per cent thanks to a big increase in renewable energy in manufacturing and more energy-efficient lights sold to customers.
“It is the first time we break the trend. But it is a longer journey until 2030,” said Lena Pripp-kovac, chief sustainability officer at Inter Ikea, the owner of the brand and concept. On Thursday Ikea unveiled measures it was taking to cut its emissions and improve sustainability, such as increasing its use of recycled polyester and sourcing more sustainable wood and other materials. It also outlined how it is testing selling furniture subscription services, in which customers do not own the sofas or bed they receive from Ikea but merely lease them.
After its foray into furniture leasing was revealed by the Financial Times a year ago, Ikea has started four trials, including of student furniture in the Netherlands and office equipment to small businesses in Switzerland. It has also tested refurbishing and reselling used furniture such as sofas.
“It is a fundamental change. We are looking into prolonging the use of products and materials in society,” said Pripp-kovac, who added that 80 per cent of Ikea’s products had been analyzed to see how they fit into its strategy of becoming a “circular” company through reuse and recycling of materials. Ikea has moved to using standard platforms — like in the car industry — for big furniture items such as sofas and chairs to enable easier recycling and refurbishment.
Pripp-kovac said the company was evaluating what else was needed such as increased supply of spare parts, the ability for children’s beds to be extended, or changing ownership models for Ikea’s products.
The company is in the middle of the biggest transformation in its 77-year history as it moves away from its big out-of-town warehouses towards smaller city-centre stores and online sales.