Ikea launches furniture disassembly guides in a bid to become more sustainable

The Swedish furniture major hopes the guides will make it easier for people to sell or reuse items

Ikea has launched disassembly guides for a number of its bestsellers. Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP

Ikea has launched disassembly guides for a number of its most popular items, in a bid to make its furniture more sustainable.

The Swedish furniture brand hopes the guides will encourage customers to extend the life of their flat-pack furniture, making it easier to move or store.

It is also hoped the guides will help people safely disassemble their furniture without causing damage, should they wish to resell it or donate it.

The guides are available for a limited number of its bestsellers so far, including the Billy Bookcase, Brimnes Bed, Lycksele Lycksele Lovas sofa-bed, Malm Desk, Pax Wardrobe, and Poang chairs.

It is the latest move from Ikea to promote sustainability. In 2020, Ikea announced it would sell spare parts to make fixing its items easier. It also launched a buy back scheme to allow customers to take their old items to store in exchange for a voucher for 50 per cent of the cost price.

Hege Saebjornsen country sustainability manager at Ikea UK & Ireland, said the company “remains committed to introducing new ways to promote circular consumption”. The brand aims to be a fully circular and climate positive business by 2030.