IKEA

A-
  • Ikea

IKEA earned a letter grade of A-, the same letter grade that it achieved in 2018. The company scored 89 out of 146.5 possible points, ranking 4th out of the 43 retailers evaluated this year.

IKEA has an impressive and consistent track record of identifying and phasing out chemicals of high concern (CHCs) from its products. The retailer eliminated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from all of its textiles in 2016 and has aggressively reduced or eliminated chemical flame retardants and phthalates from its products. IKEA has a sophisticated chemical policy and appears to devote substantial resources to successfully working with its suppliers on the chemical safety of its products.

Opportunities for improvement: IKEA should do more to be transparent in its approach. IKEA’s explicitly stated preference to avoid third-party certifications and public standards and instead rely on its own policies lacks the rigor of an openly debated and public standard. Ultimately, consumers have a hard time actually knowing if there are unaddressed hazards while making industry-wide cooperation and shared learning more difficult. IKEA should also be a public leader in addressing chemicals of concern that may be present in food contact materials in its restaurants and cafes. We also encourage IKEA to expand its ingredient disclosure and become a signatory to the Chemical Footprint Project.

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Summary of IKEA’s Grade

15 out of 17.5 points

Policy: Adopted a retailer safer chemicals policy

Explanation of Points

IKEA has a robust and regularly updated written policy that it refers to as its “Chemical Strategy.” In addition to other documented purchasing policies, it applies to products, packaging, and all of its operations and sales globally. The Chemical Strategy includes a beyond restricted substance list (BRSL) of chemicals that are prohibited. IKEA required the elimination of the use of chromium in the manufacture (tanning) of its leather materials and has noted that it implemented a new production technique for artificial leather, cutting levels of the solvent dimethylformamide (DMF) by 80%. Therefore, we give the company credit for having a manufacturing restricted substance list (MRSL) in at least one product category.

While IKEA has made numerous pledges to have fully eliminated a number of CHCs, little information quantifying these commitments is publicly available. As a result of not having publicly quantified goals, we have awarded credit for 5 of the 6 policy elements.

2.5 out of 5 points

Oversight: Established management responsibilities and incentives

Explanation of Points

Senior managers are assigned and have specific responsibilities in their job descriptions. The retailer informed us that while it does not have a direct financial incentive for senior management, it offers internal awards with incentives for innovations, which have included incentives relative to chemical reduction in the past.

10 out of 12.5 points

Accountability: Ensures supply chain accountability

Explanation of Points

IKEA has documented meeting all four criteria for accountability. In discussing its recent elimination of PFAS chemicals from textiles, IKEA describes its accountability program, stating: “All IKEA products go through a thorough testing process before being put on the market. In order to secure compliance to the requirements IKEA does regular verifying tests both on material and final products. IKEA also carries out random checks and audits.” The retailer has also noted that it requires materials and products to be tested in internal labs and in labs that are external to suppliers, both during product development and while under production. In addition to meeting the specifications for the product, all suppliers agree to meet IKEA’s supplier code of conduct, referred to as the “IWAY Standard,” which outlines expectations and creates an avenue for ongoing engagement between the retailer and its suppliers.

6 out of 13 points

Disclosure: Requires suppliers to report use of chemicals in products to retailer

Explanation of Points

IKEA’s specification documents for its suppliers require various degrees of ingredient disclosure, depending upon the type of product. For children’s products and “chemical products,” including candles, the company requires full information on all ingredients and known impurities that are on its hazard lists, full information on any biocides, and details on all other ingredients constituting >1%. For non-children products, it requires information on “hazardous” chemical ingredients or impurities >0.01%. This year, the retailer started embarking on an effort to require increased disclosure of chemical information from its suppliers of electronics to be completed by 2021, earning a bonus point for setting a deadline to receive information.

15 out of 16 points

Action: Reduced or eliminated chemicals of high concern (CHCs) within the last three years

Explanation of Points

In 2018, IKEA reported to us that it phased out cobalt, benzophenone, and two biocides (Biphenyl-2-ol and Sodium-2-biipphenylate) from surface coatings and coverings and banned benzophenone as a stabilizer in polymers. As a result, the retailer reported that, as of mid-2019, the biocides and benzophenone have been eliminated from its products and that cobalt greater than 100 PPM will be eliminated by the end of the year. Additionally, in 2016, the company banned all PFAS in textiles. IKEA says that FY16 was the first year in which 100% of the leather used was produced with chrome-free processes.

11.5 out of 13.5 points

Safer Alternatives: Evaluates safer alternatives, avoids regrettable substitutes

Explanation of Points

IKEA evaluates the availability and safety of alternatives when targeting CHCs for replacement. The IKEA Chemical Strategy includes objectives to assess all materials used in IKEA products for chemical safety and to phase out substances or materials that could cause harm. IKEA says that before phasing out CHCs, the company asks and answers the following questions: “1. Is the chemical really needed? Is the particular property really needed? 2. If yes, can we develop/change the material (with no need for chemicals)? 3. Can an alternative substance be used? Are the alternatives available really more safe? What data are available?” These are the right questions to ask, and while IKEA’s documents do not explicitly detail how this guidance is applied, IKEA provided us with additional information on its alternative screening that demonstrates it meets the Mind the Store campaign’s definition. The retailer does not appear to have integrated this process into the product development process yet.

Additionally, IKEA is a supporter of the ChemSec safer alternatives marketplace, earning an extra point for this action.

6.5 out of 18 points

Transparency: Demonstrates a commitment to transparency and public disclosure

Explanation of Points

IKEA’s BRSL and its manufacturing chemical restrictions, which amount to an MRSL, are publicly available. Information on the company’s Chemical Strategy has been publicly summarized, and a copy was provided to us for review, but the full version is not publicly available.

IKEA does not fully disclose the ingredients for its products. The detailed “Product Information” for some products featured online includes material ingredient content and statements that they do not contain harmful chemicals, and for selected categories, the retailer has noted that specific CHCs have been eliminated. In its most recent Sustainability Report, the retailer stated: “In FY18, we increased our transparency on chemical safety. Information about chemicals can now be found on specific products – such as chrome-free leather sofas in IKEA US – and some IKEA country websites.” We have awarded 1.5 points for identifying some products in which CHCs have been removed in response to the retailer’s policy.

0 out of 7.5 points

Chemical Footprint: Evaluates its chemical footprint

Explanation of Points

IKEA has not made any discernible progress in participating in the Chemical Foodprint Project. The retailer has reported engaging in an internal effort with its suppliers to begin using its own index to look at chemical use.

0 out of 8.5 points

Third-party Standards: Promotes credible third party standards for safer products

Explanation of Points

IKEA has largely dismissed the value of third-party standards, writing in a factsheet on its website: “There are hundreds of environmental certificates in the world. We have chosen not to use them. Instead, our customers can rely on the IKEA logo – it represents our full responsibility for safe, healthy and legally compliant products, produced with as little impact on the environment as possible.”

Extra Credit:

0 out of 5 points

Joint Announcement: Public commitment demonstrated through joint announcement

Explanation of Points

IKEA has not made a discernible public commitment through a joint announcement or other coordination effort in advance of a major announcement within the time periods specified in the scoring rubric.

15 out of 15 points

Continuous Improvement: Shows continuous improvement by steadily expanding safer chemicals policy

Explanation of Points

IKEA has demonstrated significant, consistent, and long-term progress in banning or phasing out CHCs in its products, including: formaldehyde in wood casings (1993), PVC except for electrical articles (1996), azo dyes releasing carcinogenic arylamines in textiles/leather (1996), all brominated flame retardants except for electrical articles (2000), Cr-VI in chrome plating (2005), BPA in plastic for children’s products (0-7 years) (2006), lead in metal fittings (2006), Cr-VI in chromating/anodising (2008), lead in mirror backings (2010), BPA in polycarbonate in food contact products (2012), mercury in light sources (replaced by LED) (2015), per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in textiles (2016), and cobalt, benzophenone, and two biocides (Biphenyl-2-ol and Sodium-2-biipphenylate) from surface coatings and coverings and banned benzophenone as stabilizer in polymers (2018).

0 out of 5 points

Safer Products: Program to promote safer products in stores and/or on website

Explanation of Points

IKEA has no discernible program to feature and market safer products on store shelves and/or website.

5 out of 5 points

Collaboration: Actively participates in collaborative process to promote safer chemicals

Explanation of Points

IKEA has participated in Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3) Retailer webinar series and the retailer serves as a member of the Business Group of ChemSec, a European NGO that works for safer chemicals.

2.5 out of 5 points

Impact Investment: Investing financial resources into independent research into safer alternatives and/or green chemistry solutions

Explanation of Points

IKEA started IKEA GreenTech, an investment company that supports start-up technologies that make its business more sustainable. IKEA GreenTech invests in companies/suppliers working with clean technology, energy management, and greener chemistry.

For example, IKEA GreenTech has invested in DyeCoo Textile Systems, a Dutch company that has developed the first commercially available dyeing technology that uses much less water and lower amounts of chemicals.

Grade
A-
Points
89
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