IKEA launches sell-back program in Canada to avoid waste

The Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA, has launched a programme in Canada that allows customers to return used furniture.

Gently-used furniture, which the firm will go on to resell in its stores, can be exchanged for store credit, CBC News reported.

The waste-reducing concept was initially introduced two years ago, and since the company has piloted the scheme in several locations.

“We provide a solution for customers who may be finished with an Ikea product,” commented Brendan Seale, Head of Sustainability at IKEA.

“We put a dollar value back in their pocket and prolong the life of the product and create a positive social benefit.”

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“We want to learn from our customers, how it's working for them, and how we could expand it in the future.”

The retailer is offering the service to members of IKEA Family, the firm’s free-to-join loyalty programme.

Members will then submit an application which IKEA will review to deem the furniture in good enough condition to sell back.

The Swedish firm claims to have received over 1,000 submissions to resell its furniture.

The programme forms part of IKEA’s strategy to improve its operations to make them more sustainable and environmentally-friendly, including its target of phasing out single-use plastics by 2030.