Ikea plans to ban single-use plastic products by 2020

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.

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.”

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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.

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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.

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.

— With files from Reuters