~
Results show 92% of IKEA customers bagged the plastic bag! IKEA will no
longer offer plastic or paper bags. The offering will only be reusable.
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- We talked about it. We said
it could be done. We believed that most of our customers would put an end
to plastic bag consumption. And now we know, we were right. The majority of
IKEA customers; a whopping 92% said no more plastic bags. As of October 1,
2008, IKEA will no longer be offering plastic or paper bags at any of its
US stores. The offering will only be reusable.
With the introduction of its leadership 'bag the plastic bag' program
in March 2007, IKEA set a goal of reducing its US stores' plastic bag
consumption by 50%; from 70 million to 35 million plastic bags in the first
year. The call was to go reusable, particularly focusing on the iconic IKEA
blue bag for $.59. Or don't use a bag at all! And IKEA also said if that
was not an acceptable solution, IKEA plastic bags could be purchased for
five-cents, with all proceeds going to American Forests (the nation's
oldest non-profit citizens conservation organization) to plant trees to
restore forests and help reduce CO(2) mission.
Now, eighteen months since the program began, plastic bag reduction
continues to be at 92%. Expectations were exceeded and IKEA learned their
customers welcome the opportunity to find new ways to be environmentally
responsible. This landmark program has now resulted in IKEA taking another
step forward; as of October 1, 2008, IKEA will no longer offer plastic bags
or paper bags. IKEA's consumer call-to-action is to use only reusable bags.
"The success of this program clearly demonstrates that like IKEA, our
customers care about our global home," said Pernille Spiers-Lopez,
president, IKEA North America. "They have let us know, that they're looking
at ways to be environmentally responsible in their everyday lives. Plus the
huge increase in our reusable blue bag sales, tells us that our bold step
to end plastic bag sales has been welcomed by our customers across the
nation."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. consumes
over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps each year. Each year,
Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags, and less
than one percent of them are recycled. Single-use bags made of high-density
polyethylene are the main culprit. Once brought into existence to tote
purchases, they will accumulate and persist on our planet for up to a
thousand years. Paper bags are also not the best alternative; stacking 10
pallets of paper bags is equivalent to one pallet of plastic, thus
increasing the CO(2) footprint. And it takes 14 billion trees to produce 10
billion grocery bags.
"American Forests and IKEA have developed a growing environmental
partnership based on Global ReLeaf tree planting over almost a decade. In
that time IKEA and its co-workers and store visitors have sponsored the
planting of over 728,000 trees in Global ReLeaf ecosystem restoration
projects throughout the United States. In addition to CO(2) sequestration,
the environmental benefits of these projects in terms of clean air, pure
water and improved wildlife habitat are substantial and measurable. The
fact that IKEA has shown outstanding leadership in reducing plastic bag
usage while providing support for Global ReLeaf environmental restoration
just reinforces our pride in working with such a forward thinking company,"
stated Deborah Gangloff, executive director, American Forests.
BACKGROUND
-- In March 2007, IKEA became the first major U.S. retailer to discontinue
the distribution of free plastic bags at check out in its U.S. stores.
In an effort to help the environment and change customer behaviors, IKEA
charged $.05 cents for each plastic bag with all proceeds going to
American Forests, the nation's oldest non-profit citizen's
conservation organization. Since March 2007, IKEA has raised and donated
enough money to have 516,000 trees planted.
-- During the first phase of the"Bag the Plastic Bag" program
IKEA also reduced the price of its big blue reusable shopping bag from
$.99 cents to $.59 cents to further encourage customers to bag the
plastic bags. Blue Bag sales since March 2007, have increased by over
100 times since IKEA started charging 5 cents for each plastic bag.
-- IKEA is continuing on the success of its "Bag the Plastic Bag"
program by eliminating all disposable plastic bags at checkout in IKEA
U.S. stores as of October 1, 2008. Paper bags are not available in any
IKEA stores.
-- Paper bags are not the best alternative. Stacking 10 pallets of paper
bags is equivalent to one pallet of plastic, thus increasing the CO2
footprint. And it takes 14 billion trees to produce 10 billion grocery
bags.
-- Partners for more than a decade, IKEA and American Forests together
have planted more than 728,000 trees in the U.S., enough to offset
approximately 100,000 tons of CO(2) emissions over the next 40
years. The 'Bag the Plastic bag' program has resulted in
the planting of 516,000 trees.
-- IKEA has contributed more than $728,000 for the planting of trees in
the U.S. since 1998 through 2007.
With the sale of the IKEA reusable blue bag increasing tremendously --
100 times in the US since March 2007 -- IKEA customers are using this roomy
and lightweight bag for multi-purposes. To see just how this bag is being
utilized, people across the globe can visit http://www.ikea.com (contest to go up
in mid-November) to submit photos or videos demonstrating their creative
and practical blue bag uses as well as places that they have taken their
blue bags. Customers can also design virtual blue bags using IKEA textile
design options and eco-friendly sayings. Web site visitors can vote on and
share their favorite submissions with others as well as enter to win weekly
sweepstakes prize offerings and also a grand prize offering. These prizes
will be announced soon.
About IKEA
IKEA places great value on life at home. A comforting spot where family
and friends gather, where children learn and grow. A place where laughter
is constant. And everyone is welcome to just hang out. An IKEA home is not
about bricks and mortar. It's about beauty, joy and security. Since its
1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings and accessories
of good design and functional living solutions at prices so low that the
majority of the people can afford them. Currently there are more than 285
IKEA stores in 36 countries, including 46 in North America (11 in Canada;
35 in the US). IKEA has eight distribution centers in North America, with
the most recent opening in Tacoma, WA. IKEA also just recently opened its
first US Swedwood manufacturing plant in Danville, VA. IKEA has been named
to BusinessWeek's List of The Best Global Brands (August 7, 2006) and for
four consecutive years, Working Mother magazine's annual list of the "100
Best Companies for Working Mothers." IKEA was listed in March 2007, on Fast
Company's Fast 50, for its environmentally responsible products, as well as
five consecutive years, Training magazine's annual list of top companies
that excel at human capital development. Additionally, IKEA has been on
FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for three straight years.
IKEA recently received the Foreign Policy Association Award for Global
Corporate Social Responsibility. IKEA incorporates environmentally friendly
efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that
benefit causes such as children and the environment including UNICEF, Save
the Children and American Forests. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to
http://www.IKEA-usa.com. To learn more about IKEA environmental and social
responsibility actions and programs, visit
http://www.ikea-group.ikea.com/?ID=698
About American Forests
AMERICAN FORESTS helps people improve the environment with trees and
forests. We are a world leader in tree planting for environmental
restoration and carbon sequestration. AMERICAN FORESTS helps people
identify, recognize and preserve their special trees, and our community-
based initiatives help people plan and implement local actions to restore
and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities. American Forests is on the
World Wide Web at http://www.americanforests.org.
- EPA stats: http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=4
- Plastic Bag thrown away: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499
- Bags on the planet for 1,000 years
http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=4
SOURCE IKEA
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.americanforests.org
http://www.ikea.com http://www.ikea-group.ikea.com
CONTACT:
Mona Astra Liss of IKEA Corporate PR,
+1-610-834-0180, ext. 5852, sslm@memo.ikea.com; or Charly Rok,
+1-212-598-4400, ext. 155, charly@lippetaylor.com, or Sloane
Magny, +1-212-598-4400, ext. 179, smagny@lippetaylor.com, both of
Lippe Taylor PR, for IKEA
|
