Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A longer shelf life
IKEA offers vouchers for old furniture
IKEA today launches its “Buy Back” scheme offering shoppers up to £250 for selling old shelves and bookcases back to the chain.
The pioneering project gives vouchers to customers to spend in stores when they trade in their used IKEA furniture.
Unwanted tables, chairs and cabinets will be revamped and sold at a knockdown price in its new Circular Hubs, saving reusable furniture from landfill.
Families who pass on furniture in “as good as new” condition can expect to get 50% of the original price back.
The signature Billy bookcase for £114 will be worth £57, while a £499 oak veneer Morbylanga table would recoup £249.
Shoppers trading in products with minor scratches will be offered 40% of the original price while well-used, scratched items will receive a 30% refund, IKEA said.
Products excluded from the deal include furniture that has been modified by owners, soft furnishings, baby products such as cots and mattresses, electrical items, upholstered or leather products and bedding. But tables, chairs, dressers, bookcases, sideboards, chests of drawers and multimedia furniture are eligible for the service, which was postponed following the second lockdown in November. Shoppers will need to visit the chain’s website to register to get a preliminary offer before they are asked to take items to their nearest store to trade them in. The Swedish retailer plans to become “a fully circular and climate positive business by 2030” with all its products made from renewable, recyclable or recycled materials and designed to be reused, refurbished or recycled. Peter Jelkeby, country retail manager for IKEA UK, said: “Households are connected to around 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, consuming around a third of the energy and 10% of the water used globally.
“Small actions can make a significant difference, and why IKEA is so committed to making sustainable living more affordable, attractive and accessible.”