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Small Change, Big Impact: Ikea Ditching Plastic Bags for Holding Fasteners

Their new paper-based bags are made from production waste

By Rain Noe - June 18

in Packaging | Sustainability

Ikea has set the ambitious goal of eliminating all virgin plastic from their products by 2030. They also aim to ditch virgin plastic in their packaging a bit sooner, by 2028. In order to achieve the latter, they've had to make a small change with a large impact: Getting rid of those little plastic bags that their fasteners come in, swapping in paper bags instead.

"The bags are produced in-house using paper made from production waste," says Lukas Exner, Production & Distribution Manager at IKEA Components, who adds that then bags took several years of testing to develop. The payoff, he reckons, will be worth it. "This shift will reduce our virgin plastic consumption by up to 1,400 tons annually. It clearly shows how even the smallest change can generate great results."

In order to make the new bags durable enough to hold fasteners, the company found they had to add a "thin plastic coating," but says the bags are still recyclable. They also say they're "investigating the possibility of replacing this plastic coating with renewable materials."

For now the paper bags are being added only to new Ikea products, presumably because it takes a while to alter incumbent production lines. But by 2028, they say, all of the plastic bags will be gone.

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chris buttenob

8 hours ago

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When there are multiple bags in a kit I prefer seeing what's in the bag before opening. At least they aren't throwing them in the box loose. :)

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Juan Cano

10 hours ago

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I recently bought a Lego set (I hadn't bought one in years) and all the bags were paper instead of the usual clear plastic. I thought it was a great move.

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Prescott Perez-Fox

10 hours ago

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I've thought this for years, not just about Ikea. While the transparency is helpful at first, this feels like the sort of thing that can easily be handled by a small envelope or even a packet, akin to sugar. But to be really sustainable, they should just fold up a banana leaf or something! Coconut husks were used as packing material for centuries.

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Abe Froman

13 hours ago

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Moving away from plastic bags to paper bags.....lined with plastic. It's a step in the right direction but is it really boast worthy?

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