Meet our New Veggie Balls!

Food is on everyone’s mind right now. Social media is bursting with tasty recipes and photos; chefs have become household names; and cooking shows are more popular than ever. All of this is inspiring us to be more aware of what we put into our bodies, and how it effects the environment around us.

At IKEA, we want to make sure there is something on the menu for everyone; offering appetizing food that is not only good for health and well-being, but also good for the planet and produced in a responsible manner, based on the IKEA People and Planet Positive strategy.

“We will continue to serve delicious food, offering a taste of Sweden at affordable prices, but with increasing focus on the aspects of food that are really important to people: health and sustainability.” – Michael La Cour, Managing Director of IKEA Food Services AB.

The veggie ball is packed with fresh ingredients like peas, carrots, bell peppers, corn and kale, as well as healthy levels of vitamins and proteins.  With its rich taste and lower environmental impact, the veggie ball is a delicious alternative to the traditional meatball, which has made millions of IKEA customers happy – and full- throughout the years.

Next time you visit, give them a try! They are Gluten-Free and Vegan!

The Never Ending List #29 - Giving the Gift of Light

In June 2009, IKEA started the SUNNAN solar lamp campaign.  For every SUNNAN lamp sold in IKEA stores worldwide, UNICEF receives a SUNNAN lamp.  These lamps are distributed to enable children in homes without electricity to do their homework, even after dusk.  (It also lets them read and play, too!) Our goal is to donate 1 million lamps in the year 2011.

SUNNAN lamps combine low energy LED technology with solar cell panels. Since there’s no need for electricity, you can use it anywhere indoors. Just charge the panel for 9-12 hours in the sun and get three hours of lamplight.

Read more about this initiative and how it’s making a difference in India! Go to the UNICEF site.

One Light Bulb for Change!

If every household in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an compact fluorescent light bulb, the energy saved could light 3 million homes for one year, save about $600 million in energy costs per year, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions in a single year (the equivalent emissions to 800,000 cars!)

Is it time for you to jump on the CFL bandwagon? If you haven’t yet, why not?

The light from CFLs isn’t the same as my incandescent bulbs.

CFLs still have a reputation for giving off a cool, eerie light that doesn’t flatter anyone’s skin tones.  Manufacturers now offer a wide variety of bulbs with different Kelvin (K) ratings. Bulbs ranking under 4,000K will have a warmer light. Those above 4,000K have a cooler light.  Look for “soft white” or “warm white” bulbs to most closely mimic the light from incandescent bulbs.

Visit http://green.yahoo.com/18seconds/ (the time it takes to change a light bulb) to find out where your state ranks in the CFL switch, (Minnesota is #25!) and get tips on selecting the right bulb for your needs.

CFLs are too difficult to dispose of.

CFLs contain about 4mg of mercury (compared to about 500mg found in a conventional mercury thermometer.) This does not pose a safety risk at home, but could add up if disposed in a landfill.  Disposing of your used CFLs shouldn’t be an inconvenience: keep in mind that they have a much longer life than traditional bulbs. You can dispose of them at your local Household Hazardous Waste collection site, and many retailers that sell CFLs also accept them back for recycling. (Like IKEA Twin Cities!  In fact, if you bring in your bulb to be recycled Monday – Thursday, you can receive 15% off any item in As-Is priced over $20.)

The CFL bulbs I used didn’t last as long as promised.

Following the correct guidelines for usage is key! Don’t use a CFL with a dimmer, unless the bulb is labelled as “dimmable.” Also, choose CFLs for rooms where you leave the light on for an extended period of time (more than15 minutes.) Frequently switching the bulb on and off will shorten its life.

Compact Fluorescent bulbs last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.  Generally, an incandescent bulb will last less than 1,000 hours (about a year, if used 3 hours per day) while a CFL last about 10,000. So, if you install a compact fluorescent bulb in your dining room for your child’s first birthday, that same bulb may be casting light on dinner of their tenth birthday as well.

The time is now! We can all band together an build a more sustainable life at home. Visit www.ikea-usa.com for more tips for all the areas of your home.

(Check out this great article at WIRED about the future of LED bulb technology!)

The Never Ending List #23

We believe that home is the most important place in the world, and that children are the most important people in the world.  Since 2005, IKEA has partnered with UNICEF and Save the Children for our annual Soft Toy Campaign.  To date, the campaign has raised 35.2 million euros ($47.5 million US) and enabled approximately 8 million children in nearly 40 countries the great opportunity of having access to a quality education.

This year’s event runs from November 1 – December 24^th, and includes soft toys, children’s books, and kids’ meatball combo meals in the IKEA Restaurant. For each of these items sold, one euro (approximately $1.35 US) is donated to the Soft Toys for Education Campaign. These incredibly affordable and cuddly creatures will certainly put a smile in the hearts of children, while supporting millions of other children who are in need of a quality education.

The best gift you can give a child is the gift of an education. And educating our children is a top priority. Yet every day millions of children around the world are unable to receive a quality education.  School offers chil­dren a safe environment with support, supervision and socialization. Kids learn life skills that can help improve their own health as well as for their family and community. No doubt, it’s imperative that every child, no matter where they live, receives a quality education.

In conjunction with other IKEA stores around the country, IKEA Twin Cities will donate hundreds of soft toys to our local Toys for Tots chapter this year. We have also selected Toys for Tots as the beneficiary of our in-store donation bin!  Customers are invited to purchase a soft toy or children’s book to go to their local efforts.

Learn more about some of the projects that benefit from our Soft Toy Campaign here.

 

Read about UNICEF and Save the Children on their official sites.

The Never Ending List #9

IKEA tries to get the best possible return from every tree trunk.  The NORDEN table has been available at IKEA stores since the late 1990s and was revolutionary when it was launched.  It was the first time that furniture had been made from the knotty crown of the birch tree. Previously this wood was either burnt as firewood or ground as part of chipboard production. Today the whole trunk is used in the production process, and there are a number of products in the NORDEN family.

To read more about IKEA and their commitment to sustainable forest management, visit here.

To read more about our Never Ending List, click here.

Celebrating Forests for People

The UN has declared 2011 at the International Year of Forests.  Organizations around the world have been hosting events celebrating the Year, and opening up dialogues about the sustainable management of forests.

Learn more about the UN’s International Year of Forests here.

At IKEA, we are working with American Forests in the month of October to plant trees across the United States.  When you visit your local IKEA, you will be invited at check-out to donate $1 to the effort.  Contributions at your local IKEA will be funnelled to projects in your surrounding area, letting you contribute to the “greening of your own back yard.”

In Minnesota, the Global ReLeaf Project currently in progress is the Spruce Salvage Restoration Project in Chippewa National Forest.  Read about it, and other American Forest ReLeaf projects in the state here.

At IKEA we believe in the power of trees.  They are the "green machines" cleaning our air and water, and stabilizing our soil.  Start the greeing of your neighborhood today!

10 Reasons to Plant a Tree

1.               Trees save energy and money. Just three trees strategically planted around your home can cut your air conditioning bill in half.

2.               Trees save tax dollars. Trees slow storm-water runoff in a city and reduce the need for storm sewers. Tree shade also helps cool municipal buildings, lowering electricity bills.

3.               Trees cool our cities. Urban "heat islands" are directly related to massive tree-cutting for development.

4.               Trees clean our water and air. From low level ozone in our cities to pesticide and fertilizer runoff from our farms, trees absorb harmful pollutants.

5.               Trees help community life. Tree planting and community based forestry can add significantly to a local community's sustainable economy while restoring the environment.

6.               Trees protect soil. By holding soil in place with their root systems, deflecting pounding rain with their canopies and by adding nutrients each fall with their leaves, trees are crucial to keeping and improving our soil.

7.               Trees provide habitat for species of many kinds --including endangered species. A key project of American Forests is "Trees for Tigers" in the Russian Far East that is restoring habitat for the endangered Siberian tiger.

8.               Trees can pay your "carbon debt". Planting just 30 Global ReLeaftrees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide that is generated in the production of energy for the average American lifestyle each year.

9.               Trees provide clean water and natural flood control. Forests act as natural reservoirs, and they protect watersheds, providing clean water for cities, bays and rivers.

10.            Trees are a beautiful part of our lives. From striking individual trees that are of historic significance or are simply large and majestic, to a grove of trees in a city park, trees enrich our lives by simply being there. Trees are not just a key to the natural ecosystem --trees are an essential part of community life.

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Visit IKEA Twin Cities on Saturday, October 1st when we'll be giving out Balsam Fir seedlings for you to take home and plant!  Quantities are limited, so stop by early (for breakfast, maybe?) Also, for the month of October, you can elect to donate $1 to American Forests every time you check out. To read more about the partnership between American Forests and IKEA, click here!

The Never Ending List #8 - Organic Foods

Organic Doesn't Have To = Expensive!

From strawberry jam and mustard to pancakes and pear cider, IKEA stores offer around 20 organic products, and the number is still growing!  Which have you tried?

In the IKEA Restaurant:

Organic Pasta with Marinara sauce, $1.99 (99-cents on Mondays

11am-close!)

Spinach and Cheese Crepes, $1.99

In the Swedish Food Market:

Moose-shaped Pasta,

regular or whole-wheat, $2.49

Medium-roast coffee, $2.99

Tomato Sauce, $2.99

Strawberry, Elderflower,

Blueberry and Raspberry jam, $3.99

Coarse Mustard, $1.79

Apple and Pear Cider, $1.59

Lingonberry or Elderflower Drink, $1.99

Dill, Parsley, Black Pepper, and Thyme - $1.69

 

Did you know... if you’re unable to find the organic products you want in your local supermarket, you should have a word with the retailer.  Products are regularly added at the request of customers.

The Never Ending List #10

Minimizing Waste

The “Waste Management Manual“ for the IKEA group was established in 1999 requiring all stores to sort the five most common waste items, at a minimum. In practice, this ensures that almost 75% of the waste is sorted in the stores and more than 80% is (at the end of life) recycled or used for energy production.

IKEA works actively to reduce waste in manufacturing. Where possible, waste from one manufacturing process should be used in the production of other items. IKEA recycles large quantities of material, such as cardboard, paper, plastic, wood, metal and glass.
 
Most IKEA stores provide collection points for customers to return recycleable items such as cardboard, recycleable batteries and low-energy bulbs.
 
IKEA attempts to repair products rather than simply discarding them. These products are used as spare parts or sold at reduced prices in specially designated areas of the store.

To read more about the IKEA Never Ending Job, visit: 

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/our_responsibility/the_never_ending_list/about.html

The Never Ending List #56

Efficient transport of products
Lee, a co-worker in one of our Californian stores, came up with a way to improve the packaging of ALÄNG table lamps. Lee discovered that the box could be shrunk as much as 30 percent if only the lamps components were rearranged. So, Lee tipped off IKEA packaging technicians in Sweden who in turn conferred with suppliers. Now, thanks to a great initiative and teamwork, each pallet of product holds 24 ALÄNG lamps compared to only 18 before.

Our products are transported in flat-packs so we get more items in each load. This results in fewer journeys which equates to less fuel consumption and fewer emissions. 

To read more about the IKEA Never Ending Job, visit: 

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/our_responsibility/the_never_ending_list/about.html