Ikea UK sent zero waste to landfill last year Ikea sent zero waste to landfill in the UK last year, for the first time in its 32-year history. In […]

Ikea sent zero waste to landfill in the UK last year, for the first time in its 32-year history.

In its annual sustainability report, the Swedish furniture retailer said that waste has now become an extra revenue stream, as it is recycling material for use in some of its best-selling furniture.

Ikea said used cardboard, for example, is going into one of its most popular products – the Billy bookcase.

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“A few years ago when we had something like half the number of stores we had today, waste cost us around £1m a year,” Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability for the UK and Ireland, told the Huffington Post.

“We now have 20 stores and five pick-up points and we actually make a small profit on waste. We’ve turned waste from a cost to a resource. The next step is not just about recycling, but it’s about using waste in our own operations”.

She added that cling film used to protect products is also being recycled and turned into creating other products.

Ikea had sales of £1.72bn in the UK last year. The retailer has 20 stores in the UK, with more currently in development. In total, Ikea has 340 stores across the world. Net profit across the group was €4.2bn in 2016 on revenue of €35.1bn.

According to its latest sustainability report for 2016, Ikea has installed 730,000 solar panels and it has committed to own and operate 327 wind turbines.

“We want a waste-free world, and that’s why we support a shift to a circular economy that turns waste into a resource for new products”, the report said.

Last year, the Ikea group pledged to invest €1bn (£800m) in forests and businesses committed to recycling.