apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think you can console yourself with the fact that most Ikea products are flatpacked and can be transported relatively efficiently. Their packaging is also relatively modest and mostly recyclable. And if you try comparing them to their competition, they really aren't more/less green- just a lot cheaper, which tends to fuel consumption.

*I can't wait to sit back and read the comments on this one!*

I don't really shop at IKEA because there isn't one in my city, and I do try to avoid shopping at Walmart. Is it possible to live a city life entirely devoid of big box?

Nope, not a bit of guilt. The people who should feel guilty are the people who charge $200 for a folding chair.

Without getting too political, an individual can only do so much and still maintain an enjoyable lifestyle (granted how that is defined varies greatly). I do my best to buy from craigslist or other forms of second hand, but the bottom line is that i want to live in a comfortable setting that i find relaxing, practical, and aesthetically pleasing, and most of the time i cant afford the ridiculous prices asked for by companies specialized in reclaimed furniture.

Activists are marginalized, so there is little reason to protest or boycott, so in the end, one of the best things to do is to continue to support companies (like ikea) that are taking the lead in 'greening' their business practices, while also encouraging them to continue the trend through excellent user generated publications such as AT.

Given that Ikea actually has pretty good environmental policies (getting more and more wood from FSC certified sources), its stuff no longer falls apart (a criticism that was accurate around 1995), and has certain environmental benefits (flat-packing means less carbon in transportation), it's probably more environmentally responsible to shop there than at plenty of other smaller chains. It wouldn't take a "full-time investigation" to at least look into it for ten seconds, which you clearly didn't.

Also, if you're going to run a survey about Ikea's environmental creds, and you admit that (i) you didn't really look into it, and (ii) there's information out there that Ikea actually has a decent environmental record, why don't you include an option that says "actually, I shop at Ikea because it has decent green creds"? When all the answers are the same, it's not a survey, it's a soapbox, and a sloppy one at that.

yea! truetex..heeheehee..(but's let's still try to be mindful..)

CJL, you hit up basically everything I came to say. Well said.

ugh, first world problems, i mean really. shopping at ikea is the last thing that would keep me up at night.

I know they make real wood pieces that aren't that much more expensive, and I think the furniture will last longer if you try not to dismantle and reassemble it dozens of times either.
The key is also to not buy what you don't need, and not to buy something new if you know you're going to change it sooner or later : might as well buy used furniture and pass it on to someone else.

About 90 percent of my furniture is antique or vintage, so I don't stress too much about buying a few contemporary updates at Ikea.

The real environmental culprit is trendiness -- that whole "Ugh, that's so three years ago" attitude.

I try to buy as little new stuff as possible. Period. And yes, I often feel I'm swimming upstream and I do sacrifice aesthetics. The upside of that is, I know what particle board looks like after a few years of hard use, so that keeps me from succumbing to most Ikea-induced temptations.

Having said that, there are worse places you could spend your money than Ikea. Whatever your material obsessions are - cut back. I've fought the tide too long to console anyone about their eco-guilt.

I don't shop are IKEA (don't live in an area that has one) but are you sure you really understand what you are talking about here?

Ikea has their own social and environmental program - Ikea canada reduced customer plastic bag use by 90%, the company aims to reclaim 90% of store waste by the end of 2009; all new IKEA stores aim for LEED standards (their first store to attain this was built in 2005); the company encourages its customers to travel to its stores using public transport (in Toronto, there are free shuttle-busses from the subway to the store); they are phasing out PVCs, etc.

I don't really care about IKEA, sure I always find it interesting to go into somebody's house and check off all the Ikea things I recognize, but if you are going to write something, please try to make it accurate (try googling or something like that).

Though I do agree with the comment above that activists are marginalized, I don't believe that makes boycotting pointless. I boycott Walmart because I personally don't want to contribute my money to a store that treats its employees so poorly. I fully realize that not giving MY money to them won't shut them down, but I'm happy to know that I'm also not helping them. Apply this to any related scenario.

As for IKEA, I tend to think that their environmentally friendly actions balance out their carbon footprint and the shipping of their products. I don't love them, but they do make an effort to help, such as using recycled/recyclable materials and providing drop off locations for things like CFLs.

I try to avoid Ikea, not for the sake of being "green", but because I don't want my house to look like an Ikea showroom (I'm afraid a few more Ikea items and my house will be just that).

But the things I do have from Ikea have lasted me quite a long time. My bedroom furniture (malm) has lasted 3 years and is still going strong. My Lack floating shelves have been reused many times thanks to new coats of paint. My Expedit bookcase is a solid piece that will always be around thanks to its versatility. I even bought used Ikea dining room chairs off craigslist and repainted them and changed the fabric of the seat.

I think the problem (as previously mentioned) is that Ikea causes one to go into very ungreen super-consumer-mode. If you have even the vaguest desire for something and see it cheap enough, you'll likely have a stronge urge to buy it. There are things I've picked up there simply because they were cheap, even though I never really wanted the item in the first place.
For me, contemplating my shopping list more has certainly helped. I (1) only buy things that I actually need and can't build with better materials myself, (2) only buy things that will clearly last several years, and (3) only buy things that look like they'll have a lasting aesthetic. Not surprisingly, this filters out ~60-70% of Ikea's inventory.

CJL,

Great post. I must applaud the original poster though, I haven't seen such a poorly backed claim in a long time.

Next time you start beating your eco drum and wagging your finger at a company, try to do a little bit of research.

I believe in purchasing something only because I like and need it. I think the problem is not Ikea but over-consumption. As others have said, Ikea does a pretty good job addressing some of the environmental concerns associated with a large, big-box store. They certainly do a lot more than most large US based retailers in that regard.
The worst thing is the Ikea-effect.

Ikea also has some wonderful things at extremely reasonable prices. However, there is always a real danger of going in the store for a couple of specific items and coming out with a bunch of extra things just because they cost $9.99.

I also hate to hear someone buy an Ikea couch as a "temporary" measure. That is just dreadful and unoriginal. There is so much interesting used furniture out there of really good quality in need of a new home. It probably would take less time and be a lot more fun to find a used alternative than it would be to schlep out to Ikea.

i've never shopped there, never will. for the ethical reasons.
there are so many solid wood/steel treasures on Craigslist to choose from. Reusing/repurposing is the way to go. And if there are no Craigslisters in your area, is it really so bad to get second-hand stuff elsewhere? No.

Austinjohn, I'm with you. I went several years without a sofa because I didn't want to buy a "temporary" one at IKEA that I could afford at the time.

As for this post, I too was confused by the title as I usually think of IKEA as a company that's trying to do better with their place in the environment. (Flat-packing, providing free shuttles, etc.)

I think Ikea can try to greenwash it any way they like, but 90% of their stuff isn't resalable even on Craigslist, and it's not going to get recycled.

I don't care if it's flatpacked and shipped here on a three-masted schooner, or made with post-consumer pocket lint. There's something really depressing about seeing their crappy couches and particle board desks sitting on the curb waiting to take up space in landfills.

Yes, I've spent money there, but I try to do it wisely, buying things like Billy bookcases and kitchen cabinets that will last and/or can be reused. It's definitely a love/hate relationship.

I don't usually shop at Ikea, but I need a mattress, and do not want to buy one with all the PBDE's in it. Having looked online at how expensive organic/toxic free mattresses are, and hearing about Ikea's latex mattress, I am going to head over to the store and check it out. $1,700 vs. $800 is too affordable of an option to overlook. On this note, does anyone have a matress from ikea, and how has it held up?

For many people Ikea is the only store they can afford to buy from at all. It offers a wide selection and the stuff can last a long long time if you learn to take care of your belongings better. Get out the allen wrench and tighten that PB furniture when it become loose---don't wait until it gets so loose that it falls in on it's self. Then kick it and yell how cheap it is. You can buy real wood at Pottery Barn for far more money and it will still do the same thing if it is not tightened once and a while.
I sure wish we had an Ikea in my area of the country.

This post reminds me of a conversation I had with a fellow student in grad school who off-handedly commented that "Ikea is evil." This guy came from a wealthy family and his gorgeous apartment was full of hand-me-downs nicer than anything my parents had scrimped and saved for, much less cast off for my use. I assumed he was just speaking without thinking so I said, "hey, you know, I've got a bunch of Ikea stuff in my apartment. If I didn't, I'd be sleeping on a pile of blankets on the floor." Instead of realizing that not everyone has the material options available to him, he dismissively said, "well, then your apartment is evil," and went on with his rant. For some of us, Ikea is not about over-consumption and it's not about "starter" furniture. I've had my Ikea coffee table for more than 10 years and my Ikea bed and mattress for almost 8. Sure, I've spent more money on higher-end furnishings since I've gotten on better financial footing, but the new, more expensive items sit alongside the Ikea stuff. This is all a long-winded way of saying I don't feel any eco-guilt would be justified in my case, even though I am a fan (and customer!) of Ikea.

Im with ChrisB. I only buy things I absolutely need, things that will last, or things that can be hacked/altered.

heatherleaf - yeah some of us don't have those options at all.

Living in a smallish town in the midwest, the craigslist sucks and the furniture from it is crap. So lets go to goodwill and check it out. Even more crap. I think one of the best things they've had at our goodwill in awhile was the couch I gave them. I've gotten a few things from craigslist from chicago, but that is one of the hardest things to do since locals can access it so much easier.

i just think hearing "i don't shop at ikea for ethical reasons" sounds so ridiculous. is that just me?

A few months ago I went to the Elizabeth, NJ Ikea and was thinking how relatively good the experience was from a green point of view: I took the free shuttle which was completely full both ways and the store is located within eyeshot of the loading docks, so the materials in this store at least aren't having to get loaded onto trucks or trains to go another 1000 miles.

I don't know that I would buy large furniture there - general common sense applies - but my husband and I bought a wool carpet there 8 or 9 years ago and it's a little worn but not enough to even be embarrassing.

Sorry, AT, but this is exactly the kind of eco-babble crap I can NOT stand. Sure, wave the "carbon footprint" wand at the Big Box and let the bashing (and the page hits) begin.

"Probably made in China"? "Without dedicating ourselves to a full-time investigation"?

Are you effing serious?

It comes a time when a blog graduates from grassroots gossip to an actual journalistic endeavor, and with it, journalistic responsibilities. I think when AT began taking advertising money from companies (like, um, IKEA), the expectation about content should be raised beyond titillation for the sake of idly driving traffic.

Even the answer options are biased. What about "D: Ikea was talking about environmental issues and responsibility LONG before there were even blogs to bash them."

And if your IKEA stuff falls apart in three years, you treat your stuff like crap. Mine is pushing five years and nowhere near a landfill any time soon.

I love how all of the choices in the poll assume that EVERYONE agrees with your basic premises (consumerism is bad). Because no one intelligent would EVER be one of those gross obese consumerist neanderthals from the suburbs. Like, eww.

I was recently at Ikea, eating lunch with my 3-year old. I went to get her a straw for her drink, and found they had been phased out for environmental reasons. That seemed pretty silly to me.

That said, I love Ikea, but like other posters, try to buy just what is on my list.

My answer is No, I haven't stopped shopping there but not so much because I "couldn't resist the prices and selection." More like I see no need to resist them- they often provide the only attractive solution that I can afford. I do buy "vintage" as often as I can find great deals, but sometimes I have to buy new and I can *usually* afford Ikea. When I was pregnant with twins, needed cribs that didn't have lead paint or something, and still wanted them to be attractive- bingo, Ikea's Gulliver crib was my ONLY option- times two. I have a great appreciation for Ikea because it is one of the only places that offers interesting design to those not necessarily rolling in the dough. We exist, too!

Ha! Most of my stuff is from Ikea... that I bought second hand on Craigslist!

When I was starting grad school in a new city with no money, I needed furniture fast. I didn't have time to wait for the freecycle gods to share their goodness, or for my parents who live 3,000 miles away to bring their old furniture. If money is tight, and your shopping choices are limited, its the best place for an 'all in one' shop.

Now that I'm more established, I'm over Ikea. Without a car, its easier (and more environmentally friendly) to buy from stores near my apartment. But I don't judge those who still shop there...

I totally agree with CJL and patrick (the other one). They totally nailed what I wanted to say.

This post clearly was not researched at all. No need to hate on IKEA, what is the problem with furniture being affordable?
And the origin of each item is clearly labeled. I have absolutely no guilt in buying from IKEA.

confusednazgul, good point. I actually do not shop at Walmart either because I do not feel they are an ethically sound company, but i (like you) have no delusions that i will either persuade other people not to shop their or alter their business model. I prefer to go other places where I feel my money is being used in a way that is more beneficial, if only slightly, to the world at large. I think it is important to think of Ikea not within the context of the small boutique bamboo furniture company in Soho, but within the context of the Walmarts of the world and realize that choosing where to shop is selecting the lesser of evils.

My point was simply that saying you will not shop at Ikea in order to prove an environmental point is a useless endeavor given the fact that out of all the large furniture chains (or chains in general) they are probably the most eco-friendly (i haven't checked) and they are making strides to become even more green in the future. While some may not like their furniture, don't espouse hatred toward a company that is so far ahead of everyone on our side of the pond that they can barely see those red concentric circles in their rear view mirror. Instead support them either financially or even verbally and encourage them to continue their progress toward minimizing their footprint and setting a precedent for all the other companies that don't see it as a priority or say it cant be done.

CJL describes this hatchet job well.

My vote: I sometimes shop at IKEA because it is sometimes the best ecological choice.

IKEA designs its goods to fit into the "waste into energy" model found in much of Europe, with the right sequestering strategies this could even be carbon negative.

IKEA minimizes the use of metal hardware (and uses far more wood joining techniques) compared with more expensive places, and this dramatically reduces the energy invested in something like a chair.

My impression from the research that I've done is that efficient production of goods for 300,000,000 people is exponentially less costly for the environment than producing the same goods through more piecemeal processes. Finally, as I've said here many times before - shipping by truck, which is what we do for a lot of domestically produced goods, is far more damaging to environment, to the health of americans, and to the economy, than shipping by sea.

Frankly, I think AT should apologize to both IKEA and to its readers.

I second what patrick (the other one) said. AT is slipping.

**Thank you, patrick the one... CJL... et al. Well said.**

I think its funny how people think that they can "change the world or the environment" just because you stop shopping at IKEA. It's such liberal bs.

You can only change by reinforce political policies. We will only change things with political activism.

Since when does a boycott work? It doesn't - it just soothes you guilt. You don't change anything just because you change your shopping habits.

I heart Ikea. I, like Hollie have a ton of craigslist buys that are Ikea. It all depends on how many times you take apart and re-assemble your products and how well you take care of them. I enjoy the simplicity of their furniture. Yes, I shopped there in college, now I shop there as an adult and I still have many of my college day pieces, the others were sold on craigslist and new ones were bought. Ikea if anything is a company out there trying to make a difference. I have never walked into their store and felt guilty.

Instead of posting about how giulty you feel about Ikea shopping, try posting about Wal-mart and their lovely ways!

The problem with "cheap furniture" is that it isn't actually cheap. There are high social and environmental costs to Ikea furniture. These costs are not paid by us, but they are passed along to the workers and the countries with whom Ikea subcontracts.

Here's an interesting article on Ikea's labor practices:

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14272

These paragraphs stood out to me:

In 2003 the Dutch trade union federation asked the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (Somo) to investigate Ikea suppliers in three countries: India, Bulgaria and Vietnam. In each case investigators met workers from three or four companies and conducted interviews outside the workplace. They visited the factories and talked to the management.

Their conclusions concerned 10 suppliers representing about 2,000 employees, noting in the final report: "There are still numerous violations of Ikea's code of conduct in all three countries in all factories researched."

The most common concerned freedom of association and collective bargaining for wages and overtime. In the worst case there was no trade union, employees worked a seven-day week and the minimum wage was not honored. No one was "aware" of Ikea's code of conduct.

From what we saw in India, trade unions are still not represented at Ikea's subcontractors. Officially they are tolerated but, according to Shiva, they are not really necessary. She said: "When there is a problem we hold a meeting and we talk about it. It's often when they want to remind us about the cleanliness of the toilets. If I want something, I can tell the manager." Xana, a younger worker without any dependents, described things differently: "A union? No, they wouldn't allow it. And if inspectors visit the factory, the bosses remind us of the lies we should tell them."

****
I'm not trying to demonize Ikea here, just noting that as First world-ers, we often don't hear (or want to hear?) this part of the story. But I think once we go down the "green" road and start thinking about the conditions under which our consumer goods are produced, this factor (in which cheap prices for us equals very low wages and dangerous working conditions where our things are made) must be taken into account.

How silly. Anyone who thinks IKEA furniture can't be resold on Craigslist has obviously never looked at the furniture section of Craigslist. LOL.

I've sold there, and purchased there.

In fact I have an IKEA credenza that I've moved to three houses, is 9 years old, and still looks showroom fresh.

It's not heirloom, but it's not all disposable either. I don't know how anyone got that impression?

My answer is none of the above, I have no "eco guilt." I also shop at Wal-Mart occasion.

Waiting for the stoning....

Ikea increased my quality of life immensely when I was in school and poor (not that I'm rolling in it now). If you ask me, Ikea is one of the best design companies out there because it makes good design available to the masses while being ecologically sensitive.

Lack of public transportation to ikea prevents me from shopping at ikea

I recently came across this post on GIFTFLUENCE.COM (a resource for the wholesale gift/decor industry) about IKEA opening plants in the US, and some of their major suppliers planning to do the same. One reason cited: reducing their carbom footprint by cutting out shipping from overseas. Check it out at: http://www.giftfluence.com/giftfluence/2008/09/made-in-the-usa-ikea.html

Of the two points that AT makes, the first is obviously rubbish: if the carbon footprint was "gigantic", that would have to be reflected in the price - unless someone in the production/distribution chain got their oil for free. If you have a chair that costs $9.99, there can't have been a lot of energy used to make and transport it.

The second point is more serious, but without any actual numbers, doesn't warrant much discussion either. I'm pretty confident that some of the "real" furniture I got from craigslist will make it for a few more decades. I don't know what happened with some of the Ikea furniture I have sold or given away, but I don't think there's a trivial way to argue that the world would be better off without Ikea.

I do boycott Walmart however...

Petworth,
I recently bought the ikea engenes latex mattress and I really like it. Its very comfortable and has a much lower profile than latex mattresses from mattress stores. I would get one of the flexible mattress bases though, I wish I had and probably will at some point. I like that there was NO smell at all, no outgassing. Though it does take a few days to unfurl out of the flat pack.

I shop at ikea, it is the cheapest place to get modern looking furniture that is new. I always check craigslist first though to see if anyone is selling what I'm looking for. We bought a klippan loveseat from craigslist. I had to do surgery on it at one point because a piece of the plywood disintegrated but its in really good shape now. I see TONS of ikea stuff on craigslist, and if my experience is worth anything you really had to jump on it to get first dibs, especially at the couches.

If you over-consume because stuff is cheap at Ikea, then that's your problem, you can't blame Ikea for that. If everything was more expensive then we'd be back at a lot of us not being able to afford anything.

------------------------------------------------
AT writers, step it up a bit! This is your day job, you get paid for writing these posts! (Some of you rock - but it seems to me that MGR should take a look at who's functioning well and who isn't.)

My reason for not buying Ikea (most of the time) is that it all looks the same. True, modernist aesthetics focuses on form that could be mass manufactured and enjoyed by the masses, but I literally have a physical reaction everytime I touch an Ikea cabinet or sit on an Ikea couch in one of their showrooms. My butt recognizes that sensation, culled from a million other moments in its short life when it rested on couches and chairs that are not just similar, but exactly what Ikea had to offer. I guess I'm too independent to ever have to identify my furniture based on a limited set of Swedish-sounding collections (which is also why I don't like brand-named "good design"), or let my imagination soar using a set pallet on a set base of forms, shapes, and structures. Now, I wouldn't say I never shopped at Ikea, because sometimes they have really good ideas that really set imaginations soaring (I still think that glowing round table lamp is far too sublime to not inspire ideas). But dear god, their designs, marketed and sold the world over, have now become somewhat of a bad joke tragically oft repeated. Ikea has fallen into the inevitable pitfall of modernism: shit just looks the same. And admittedly, even "Ikea hacks" look the same. they alter function, but form never changes because the ubiquity of the store has now boxed us into a certain way of thinking about modern forms. It's a downward spiral--a fabulous looking downward spiral, if anything--and I'm not very into downward spirals.

And yeah, agree on the eco stuff here: compared to a lot of stores that really flaunt their I don't give a shit attitude, Ikea actually does a pretty good job of being conscious of how they make their products and how it impacts the world around them. Unfortunately, this consciousness doesn't extend to the way they have homogenized design the world over.

Lets keep the eco nonsense over on re-nest. I don't come to apartment therapy for my daily dose of guilt. Boring!

I agree with a lot of readers. I can't stand the "eco-babble crap" on AT either. I generally think that AT lacks in technical knowledge and research to post stuff like this... I admit that I almost never read re-nest or unplggd. I'm sorry because I like AT! I hope things change.

I do agree that we should be concerned about how our products are manufactured, carbon footprint, etc - but IKEA is one of the few companies I've come across that *is* doing something about their practices, and not, as it seems with other companies, with only their "bottom line" as the true motivator.

Dear AT Readers,

I’d like to express my apologies to those of you who were offended by this post. That certainly was not my intention. I would like, however, to clarify a few things.

I shop at IKEA quite a bit– that was stated very clearly at the opening – and I did not claim IKEA was evil. This is a genuine admission of a struggle followed by a query as to whether others share it. It is clear from these comments that most people do not and it was misunderstood.

I did recognize that IKEA is making efforts but remain curious about the concept of greenwashing in general – for all companies, large and small. We at AT write posts intended to share things that we discover online and elsewhere, not necessarily to create in-depth original research. If you follow the link in the post you will see the article did, in fact, point out IKEA’s environmental efforts.

I hope that the original intent and spirit of this post is now understood and I’m grateful that a lively debate was able to transpire here. We are always grateful for our readers comments.

Thank you,
Kyle

just a quick comment about IKEA and LEED. The company does try to make it's stores as green as possible, trying to site them near public transport if possible, and trying to adhere to LEED standards as much as possible. The IKEA store in Portland, OR is a prime example. I worked on that store, and I have a good understanding of what went into making it as sustainable and green as possible.

Thanks, Kyle.

There were indeed several skews to the post that kicked this all off on an assumed "IKEA = EVIL" tone, though.

I gotta say, this is one of the most interesting debates I read on AT. YAY!

But holy crap onedude, are you that pretentious in real life? Maybe your butt hurts so much cause your heads shoved too far up it.

Jerseyfresh--

Re: "There are high social and environmental costs to Ikea furniture."

While I wholeheartedly agree that the entire process has to be evaluated in order to make educated decisions about where we all practice our capitalism, there do seem to be two issues you speak of... social and environmental. My second pet-peeve of the whole eco-movement is that issues of social practice are also lumped in under the Green umbrella, and they are completely separate (albeit equally important) issues.

And, random ridiculous eco-movement item witnessed today. An able-bodied woman carrying a "Green is Good" cloth shopping bag pressed the electrically-assisted door opener, right next to a manually operated door. I thought that was pretty funny, and a great indicator of how we all are still really floundering with these issues on a very basic, very practical level. If we ALL made TINY changes...

I still love you, Kyle. :)

My Lord!!! Why do we not all live on grass matts and eat rice all day! No thank you to that.
Has no one noticed that furniture stores are slowly disappearing in our land of the free! It's either Ikea or big bucks in some high-end shop in IDEAL land USA.
Ikea RULES for most of us and is full of great stuff.
We all are cutting back no matter where we shop these days---food store, drug store, candy store (I hope)!
You will notice I did not put Liqueur store on that list :-)
I baought a Baker chair about 20 years ago for 320 dollars---that same chair today is around 1,500 bucks.
Nice looking chair, but hurts my a-s after 30 minutes of sitting in it.
We need more Ikeas---perhaps some that see the world in a different direction then what is now offered. How about a 50's French Ikea look :-)

I think nothing I've gotten at Ikea was made in China, it mostly seemed to be made in European countries, like Poland.

IKEA also recently donated $48 million to support UNICEF programs aimed at improving the health and survival of tens of millions of women and children in some of India's most deprived areas.

http://www.happynews.com/news/2242009/ikea%20gives%2048%20million%20fight%20india%20child%20labor.htm

If you check out their website, there is a list of eco-friendly and social justice improvements they have made. Plus they are always open to activists and their concerns in a way smaller companies and Walmart are not.