Reducing playing at IKEA in Ancona

by Eleonora Anello

Several companies have joined with enthusiasm and commitment to the European Week for Waste Reduction. These include the multinational IKEA, the furniture giant that for about fifteen years has provided environmentally aware and sustainable products that have lead them on a journey to consider the environmental and social consequences of their business and the obvious repercussions on the image of the well-known brand.

The shopping center of Camerano, in the province of Ancona - recently selected by “Comuni ricicloni - Speciale prevenzione” (Big Recycling Municipality – Special Prevention) for the project due to the social aspects of recovery and reuse of blankets that were donated to the poor and for the installation of three water dispensers in public spaces – has joined the European mobilization to reduce waste through a series of initiatives. During the next weekend (27th and 28th of November 2010) there will be an exhibition dedicated to the “Week” and all the environmental and social actions that IKEA has undertaken for the prevention of waste.

During the exhibition official materials of the European campaign will be distributed that will show some videos inside the restaurant of the store. Also in these spaces, from 3.00pm until closing on Saturday the 27th, in collaboration with the Marche Region, smaller customers will be able to participate in “Riusa giocando” (Playing Reuse), workshops that encourage learning through play, creative reuse, and to discover, enhance and transform waste materials into resources. RIU playground operators, involve children in the game of reuse in order to show optimism and that «even in the face of a world increasingly overwhelmed by waste it is possible, indeed essential, to build a path for change, for a new relationship between man and the environment, through the concepts on conservation and development not only concerning discarded materials, but also economic, social fabric and local cultures», as stated in the press release.

Organizers estimated that about 10,000 visitors will attend. Tiziana Babuin, the IKEA Family and Local Marketing Manager, told Envi.info «the collection and recycling of materials constitutes a fundamental commitment for IKEA, because any waste created and poorly managed is a costly, both for society and the environment. A proper and meticulous collection can reduce the environmental and economic disadvantages created by waste, by transforming it into a resource. For the past fiscal year, the international goal set by IKEA to the total percentage of waste sent to reuse, recycling or energy recovery was 90%. The goal in Italy has almost been reached with the result of 87%, while for the local store in Ancona it was 82%. By virtue to this commitment, the IKEA in Ancona could only proceed with the proposal of the Marche Region of the host in the Ludoteca reuse shop. The European Week for Waste Reduction represents a good opportunity to remind us of the need that everyone always assumes their share of responsibility towards the environment and people. For the IKEA in Ancona hosting the games area of reuse is also a way to encourage customers and employees to act in person, by practicing small, valuable devices and changes in the home and beyond».

And we also believe in the light of what was said by Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, who in an interview with Swiss television station TSR, declared to have driven the same car for 15 years, flies only in economy class and encourages his employees to always write on both sides of the paper.