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Swedish furniture giant IKEA has become the first major retailer to use sustainably-sourced cotton across its entire products range.
Steve Howard, IKEA Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA group said: “For over a decade we have been working towards an ambitious goal: to have 100% of the cotton we use in our products come from more sustainable sources. Today, we are delighted to announce that we have reached our 100% target and we not stopping here. We are committed to creating positive change throughout the entire cotton industry.”
Cotton from more sustainable sources includes cotton grown to the Better Cotton Standard, by farmers working towards Better Cotton, and sustainable cotton from the USA. From September 2015 onwards, all the cotton used in IKEA products is from these sources (although a small volume of products produced using conventional cotton prior to this time will still be on shelf until they are sold out).
Richard Holland, director, WWF Market Transformation Initiative commented: “Cotton from more sustainable sources across all IKEA products is a potential game-changer for the global cotton market because it demonstrates the clear business case for sustainability. We need more companies to follow IKEA’s lead but this milestone shows what’s good for people and nature is also good for business.”
