IKEA US has announced the launch of a food waste collection pilot that gives new life to food scraps and furthers the company’s goal of zero organic food waste by 2030. The pilot follows an investment from Ingka Investments – the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer – in Vanguard Renewables, an environmental services company and biomethane producer, and portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock.
The pilot launches this month at five IKEA units in New Haven, Stoughton, Schaumburg, Bolingbrook, and Oak Creek, and will transform food waste like plate scrapings, kitchen trimmings, and expired food goods from IKEA restaurants.
Vanguard Renewables will collect the food waste and convert it into biomethane, aka renewable natural gas (RNG), and low-carbon fertilizer for local agriculture through a proprietary anaerobic digestion (AD) process.
At IKEA, we see food waste as an opportunity, not a challenge. This innovative pilot is about embracing creative solutions that turn waste into value. By recycling food scraps into energy and nutrients, we can minimize our environmental footprint while maximizing the impact of every meal served, said Javier Quinones, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA US.
Each unit is expected to divert around 250 pounds of waste per week, equating to over 32,000 pounds over the six-month pilot.
IKEA has plans to expand the program and continue the effort with additional units after the pilot.
This pilot is just the beginning of our food waste journey. Not only are we keeping food waste out of landfills and improving operational efficiency, but we’re excited to be supporting local farmers and agriculture across the US to further our goal of creating a better everyday life for the many, said Paul Flite, Food Manager, IKEA US.
From furniture to food, home delivery to assembly, and product design to investments, IKEA continues to transition towards a circular business.
According to the company, this pilot reflects the IKEA “Do Something, Change Everything” ethos, proving that small actions can add up to a big impact to shape a better future.
In FY24, the company continued to create positive change by expanding the number of eligible products for its “Buy back & resell” program, increasing the total number of EV chargers at available IKEA US locations, and boosting zero-emission deliveries in the United States by more than 90 percent since fiscal year 2023.
