IKEA Canada Repurposes Iconic Instructions to Turn Old Furniture into Something New

IKEA’s commitment to sustainability comes full circle with the launch of Repurposeful Instructions – a collection of 12 creative ideas using IKEA's iconic assembly instructions that show how to upcycle some of its popular products and help breathe new life into old furniture that might otherwise end up in the landfill. Using IKEA’s Repurposeful Instructions, Canadians can turn an IVAR cabinet into a beehive, or FRAKTA shopping bags into a hanging garden.

“We really believe in the power of small, sustainable acts that people can take in their daily lives,” said Ami Warrington, marketing communications specialist, IKEA Canada. “In addition to becoming a fully circular business by 2030, IKEA aims to help our customers and co-workers make lots of little changes to live more sustainably in easy and inspiring ways, like those featured in our Repurposeful Instructions.”

Repurposeful Instructions, available for download at IKEA.ca/Repurposeful, is yet another IKEA idea to make it easy for the many Canadians to live more sustainably within the limits of the planet and extend the life of its products. From designing with renewable and recycled materials, to encouraging the reduction of food waste, IKEA delivers sustainable living inspiration in-store and online. IKEA Canada now offers a robust Sell-Back program where customers can apply to sell their gently used IKEA products back in exchange for an in-store credit. Furniture is given a second life through resale in the local store's As-Is section or through donation. The IKEA Sell-Back program has received more than 45,000 submissions nationwide since its inception in 2019.

IKEA's popular As-Is departments are also being revitalised into Circular Hubs in-store and online where Canadians can find discontinued items and gently used products that have been thoroughly inspected to ensure functionality and safety, at great deals.

To support the brand's commitment to safety while exploring creative updates that extend the life of products, Repurposeful Instructions reimagine the use of select products without altering the essential function or construction of them. Repurposeful Instructions each indicate a recommended skill level, with most of the projects being suitable for beginners, including:

• IVAR cabinets becoming a beehive
• FRAKTA shopping bags becoming a hanging garden
• BLANDA MATT salad bowls becoming a birdhouse
• FABRIKOR glass cabinets becoming a Terrarium