IKEA Will Now Buy Back Your Old Furniture

At the Zero Waste Conference held in Vancouver, IKEA Canada’s Head of Sustainability, Brendan Seale, announced the launch of a unique furniture Sell-Back program.
IKEA Will Now Buy Back Your Old Furniture

IKEA might be everyone’s favourite furniture store — I mean, who could hate Scandinavian design and affordable prices? There aren’t many other options to buy stylish, yet affordable home furnishings! And recently, IKEA just gave us another reason to love them even more.

At the Zero Waste Conference held in Vancouver, IKEA Canada’s Head of Sustainability, Brendan Seale, announced the launch of a unique furniture Sell-Back program. And it’s basically exactly what you think it is: shoppers can exchange their used IKEA items for in-store credit.

But before you start packing your car up, there are a few things you need to know about the program!

To get started, you must first become an IKEA Family member, which is free to do — you can sign-up on their website. Once you’ve created your account, the process is simple. You just need to submit an application, four or more photos of the item you would like to sell, and then wait for an assessment. Once your item has been approved, all you have to do is head to your selected store and pick up your in-store credit!

Unfortunately for hygiene reasons, they won’t take back mattresses, and for now, sofas, sofa beds, and armchairs aren’t included in the program. You can, however, take back dressers, cabinets, shelving units, chairs, dining tables, desks, and more. Shoppers will receive between 20-50% of the original retail price in credit.

ikea sell-back
Instagram/@_justcallmemademoiselle_

The program hopes to end furniture waste, and IKEA has actually played a huge role in leading sustainability in the retail industry.

For example, just a few years ago, IKEA switched their entire lighting range to LEDs. With stores across the globe and millions of lighting sold, that’s a feat that has a big impact on the world, as LEDs use 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 20 years.

But IKEA’s plan doesn’t stop there. They’ve got a long-term strategy that’s ambitious, but people and planet positive, too. Essentially, IKEA understands that they run a monster business — by 2020, they estimate that 500 IKEA stores will bring in 1.5 billion visitors a year, employ over 200,000, and generate a ton of cash. But that also means that they’ll almost double their use of wood, and their carbon emissions will increase from 30 million tons to 50-60 million tons…and that’s only for 500 stores.

The company gets that change starts with them, and that’s why they’ve got big moves coming down the pipeline.

By 2030, Seale says that IKEA plans to become a full zero waste business. But how are they going to do it? They’ll be looking directly at product design and use more recycled materials. Which brings us back to their new great initiative: the Sell-Back program! With every product brought back, IKEA will give it new life, so really, by contributing to the program, it’s a win for you, a win for IKEA, and a win for the environment!

ikea sell-back
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And if all of this news doesn’t excite you, well maybe IKEA’s recently introduced no-nonsense return policy might! In case you missed it, the home furnishings company now offers a 365 return program, which allows shoppers to return goods within the year they purchased it, in-box or assembled! Just note that the product must be unused, in re-saleable condition, and be presented with proof of purchase. They also launched a 365 mattress exchange program to rival competing mattress companies. Shoppers can take the year to decide whether or not they love where they rest. If not, IKEA will let them exchange their mattress for another, and when they do fall in love, the mattress comes with a free 25-year warranty.

Ah, IKEA. The store that keeps on giving!

Featured image: Instagram/@reset_you