IKEA Canada gets a Green Thumbs Up for Sustainability

IKEA Canada recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for the 6^th time

BURLINGTON, ON, April 22, 2014 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive year by Mediacorp, for its continued commitment to sustainability. This special designation recognizes employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organization.

"Our co-workers are at the heart of many of our sustainability initiatives and they are committed to helping our customers live a more sustainable life at home," says Kerri Molinaro, President of IKEA Canada. "We share the award for One of Canada's Greenest Employers with them as we are constantly inspired by their commitment to realizing our sustainability goals."

In the past year, IKEA Canada has made great strides to contributing to the company's global ambition to generate more renewable energy than the company consumes. In November 2013, IKEA became the largest retail wind energy investor in Canada. The purchase of a wind farm in Alberta, along with existing solar installations at three Ontario stores, is a significant step to achieving IKEA's global ambition to be energy independent by 2020.

Some of the initiatives that identify IKEA as one of Canada's Greenest Employers include:

• A mattress recycling service is now available at a number of IKEA stores across Canada. This program has resulted in 95 per cent of the materials in collected mattresses being diverted from landfill.
• IKEA Canada's waste reduction & recycling program encourages co-workers to get involved in maximizing the amount of waste sorted at source in our stores.
• IKEA Canada has nurtured a partnership with waste management company Cascades Recovery to close the loop on IKEA's paper and cardboard streams. These materials are sorted at all IKEA locations and collected by Cascades to produce 100 per cent post-consumer recycled content paper towels and bathroom tissue that are in turn used in IKEA stores across the country.
• During Earth Month, co-workers at IKEA Edmonton developed a commercial display of products and messages to help customers live a more sustainable life at home.
• IKEA Canada has a sustainability responsible person at every store across Canada who works with the management group to achieve our sustainability goals.
• In the summer of 2013, IKEA introduced new in-store communications that inform customers of sustainability benefits of many of our products, helping them to save money and live a more sustainable life at home by saving energy and water and reducing and sorting waste.
• International partnerships with UNICEF, Save the Children and WWF and long-standing national partnerships with Tree Canada and Make-A-Wish Canada®.
• IWAY - IKEA's supplier code of conduct that specifies minimum requirements we place on we place on suppliers.

In the past year, IKEA Canada has contributed to the company's sustainability strategy, People & Planet Positive. Launched it 2012, it outlines demanding goals for IKEA to reach by 2020. The focus of People & Planet is to create a more sustainable life at home by creating affordable products that enable customers to use less energy and water and reduce waste; becoming resource and energy independent; and creating a better life for people and communities.

To read more on Mediacorp's editorial selection of IKEA in their 2014 Greenest Employer list, visit www.eluta.ca/green-at-ikea-canada.

About IKEA
IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 342 stores in 42 countries worldwide, which are visited by 776 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 12 stores which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the IKEA.com websites attracted 1.1 billion visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.IKEA.ca.

SOURCE: IKEA Canada

Madeleine Löwenborg-Frick
Corporate Communications Manager
IKEA Canada
[email protected]