Over at IKEA, their furniture and fixtures are made of a wide range of materials, both natural and synthetic. With such a variety in use, it can be easy to look at any piece of IKEA furniture and wonder what it's made of, but thankfully, we might be able to help answer that question.
It Starts With The Basics
Wood, of course, makes up a significant portion of the furniture made at IKEA. The material is a natural, renewable resource, and it's durable enough to last for generations if it's treated correctly. Fortunately, though, that doesn't mean the company has grabbed the nearest axe and started tearing down every forest they can find – they've put the responsible sourcing of their wood at the centre of their business, and they do everything they can to make sure they're not taking more than the world is capable of handling.
Alternative Route Preferred
Of course, the easy solution to the problem is to start looking at alternatives to freshly-sourced wood, for which, thankfully, there are plenty. Natural fibres make up a large majority of various pieces of furniture and homewares in IKEA, including water hyacinth, banana fibres, and cork. These materials are all naturally sourced and renewable, helping reduce the companies carbon footprint while also allowing for a unique appearance to every product.
Breathing Fresh Life Into Something Dead
Once something is discarded, it is natural to assume that its usefulness has come to an end. Fortunately, that doesn't have to be the case, with IKEA focusing on using a wide variety of scrap and recycled materials in their products. That can be anything from metals right down to paper and plastics, ensuring that anything that is discarded by the company can find a second life in another role. The company does focus on reducing the amount of recyclable waste, though, by focusing on giving scrap material a life before it even hits the recycling bin, using all sorts of wood shavings and other similar scrap for various purposes.
There Are Quite A Few Reasons That Pandas Love It
There really is no going wrong with bamboo. The versatile material ranks amongst the fastest growing plants known to humankind, which makes it a stellar choice for a company like IKEA that needs to be able to produce large amounts of furniture every year. Fortunately, not only is it quick to grow, it's incredibly resilient, both to physical pressure and moisture damage. With bamboo in their furniture, you can be certain it's going to be able to live through it's lifecycle.
Looking To Expand Your IKEA Furniture?
With such a strong foundation, it's unfortunate that the options for customisation through IKEA can be limited, at times. Thankfully, if you'd like to expand the options available for customising your IKEA furniture, Customea may be able to help. For all custom IKEA doors in Australia, shop our collection here.