Swedish-founded multinational group IKEA is lending a helping hand to India-- to solve the crisis of air pollution.

IKEA India has announced on Thursday that it will turn rice straw, a rice harvesting residue that is traditionally burned and contributes heavily to air pollution, into a new renewable material source for IKEA products.

“The health effects of air pollution are severe and at IKEA we are determined to contribute to a solution. We know that burning of rice crop residue is a major pollution source and with this initiative, we hope that will change. If we can find a way to make use of rice straw it would become a valuable source for the farmers instead of being burnt, which in the end also would contribute to better air for people,” says Helene Davidsson, Sustainability Manager South Asia at IKEA Purchasing.

As per IKEA, its main priorities is clean air and the ‘Better Air Now’ initiative is an important step on this journey.”

According to reports, 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt every season in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In 2017, Delhi's air quality index went up to 486 while the acceptable level is just 50.

Stubble burning in neighbouring states of Delhi recently was the "largest-ever recorded" this year, the IITM had said, adding that it could lead to a further deterioration in the already "severe" air quality of the national capital.

The first IKEA product prototypes based on rice straw will be ready by the end of 2018 and the ambition is to start selling the products in IKEA India during 2019-2020.