But are you sure this is not all dwarfed by the overall quantities and volumes which IKEA produces, transports and sells? i.e. the furniture, decorations, fittings, textiles etc. ?
Possibly true, but so what? Every little bit helps and this seems like an easy win, ecologically speaking.
I hate to think how much junk mail I receive every year. We use a 14 gallon recycling bin and it's about half full of waste paper mail EVERY WEEK in the USA. Catalogs, flyers, credit card offers, loan offers, etc. It's disgusting and I can't opt out.
I agree, but to me it is still like holding a cup over your head while it is raining outside and functionally does almost nothing except spread the fake idea that we are actually turning society green. Paper in general is probably one of the least things we should be worried about because it is one of the easiest things to farm and uses minimal input compared to the bulk of material it produces.
> Every little bit helps and this seems like an easy win, ecologically speaking.
It is likely not helpful if IKEA gets to enjoy the image of an environmentally-friendly eneterprise based on a token gesture. Many companies engage in such gestures to get themselves off the hook for their involvement in problematic practices.
I'm not saying that it's IKEA's fault that people buy throw-away furniture, or that the population is growing etc, but still.
They are very good at minimizing packaging. Also, my kids use my IKEA dresser that I had when I was younger, bought in 1989. I had to replace the rails and a few of the knobs, but it's still in fantastic shape even after going through several changes of residence.
Just throwing this out there -- it's not like all of this stuff is ending in the trash. This dresser is over 30 years old now.
You're right, of course. The catalog is dwarved by all the other products that come out of Ikea. I personally don't partake in buying them for 10+ years now, because I think about the stuff above. Plenty of furniture I can get without pulling on that supply chain.
