Editing IKEA (section)

===Umbrella initiatives===
After initial environmental issues like the highly publicized [[formaldehyde]] scandals in the early 1980s and 1992,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ikea and formaldehyde |url=http://www.peterre.info/ikea/formaldehyde/ |publisher=unknown (2003 to 6 February 2004) |access-date=2 July 2013 |archive-date=21 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121042415/http://www.peterre.info/ikea/formaldehyde/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Formaldehyde and other VOC's |url=http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/articles/5107-formaldehyde-other-vocs.html |publisher=ikeafans.com | date=February 1998 |access-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625033018/http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/articles/5107-formaldehyde-other-vocs.html |archive-date=25 June 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Eco Etiquette: Should I Freak Out About Formaldehyde In Baby Furniture? | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eco-etiquette-should-i-fr_b_814096 | first=Jennifer | last=Grayson | work=[[HuffPost]] | date=26 January 2011 | access-date=27 April 2020 | archive-date=22 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922215154/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eco-etiquette-should-i-fr_b_814096 | url-status=live }}</ref> IKEA took a proactive stance on environmental issues and tried to prevent future incidents through a variety of measures.<ref>See Bartlett, Dessain, Sjöman (2006)&nbsp;– Ikea's Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labour (A) in Harvard Business School</ref> In 1990, IKEA invited [[Karl-Henrik Robèrt]], founder of [[the Natural Step]], to address its board of directors. Robert's system conditions for sustainability provided a [[Strategy|strategic approach]] to improving the company's environmental performance. In 1990, IKEA adopted the Natural Step framework as the basis for its environmental plan.<ref name=Owens>Owens, Heidi (1998) [http://www.ortns.org/documents/Ikea.pdf Ikea: A Natural Step Case Study]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125152924/http://www.ortns.org/documents/Ikea.pdf |date=25 November 2005 }} Oregon Natural Step Network. Retrieved 6 April 2008.</ref> This led to the development of an Environmental Action Plan, which was adopted in 1992. The plan focused on structural change, allowing IKEA to "maximize the impact of resources invested and reduce the energy necessary to address isolated issues".<ref name=Owens /> The environmental measures taken include the following:

# Replacing [[polyvinylchloride]] (PVC) in wallpapers, home textiles, shower curtains, lampshades and furniture—PVC has been eliminated from packaging and is being phased out in electric cables;
# Minimizing the use of [[formaldehyde]] in its products, including textiles;
# Eliminating acid-curing [[lacquer]]s;
# Producing a model of chair (OGLA) made from 100% [[Post-consumer waste|post-consumer]] [[plastic pollution|plastic waste]];
# Introducing a series of air-inflatable furniture products into the product line. Such products reduce the use of raw materials for framing and stuffing and reduce transportation weight and volume to about 15% of that of conventional furniture;
# Reducing the use of [[chromium]] for metal surface treatment;
# Limiting the use of substances such as [[cadmium]], lead, [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]], [[Pentachlorophenol|PCP]], and [[Azo dye|Azo pigments]];
# Using wood from responsibly managed forests that replant and maintain [[Biodiversity|biological diversity]];
# Using only [[Recycling|recyclable materials]] for flat packaging and "pure" (non-mixed) materials for packaging to assist in recycling.<ref name=Owens />
# Introducing rental bicycles with trailers for customers in Denmark.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usingbicycles.blogspot.com/2008/07/ikea-bikes-no-theyre-not-made-of.html|title=IKEA Bikes (no, they're not made of plywood)|work=Using Bicycles|author=Sherwood Stranieri|date=17 July 2008|access-date=27 July 2008|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032431/http://usingbicycles.blogspot.com/2008/07/ikea-bikes-no-theyre-not-made-of.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2000, IKEA <ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-11-21 |title=Unveiling the Elegance: Transform Your Space with IKEA Bedroom Furniture Sets |url=https://decormastery.com/ikea-bedroom-furniture/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Decor Mastery}}</ref> introduced its code of conduct for suppliers that covers social, safety, and environmental questions. Today IKEA has around 60 auditors who perform hundreds of supplier audits every year. The main purpose of these audits is to make sure that the IKEA suppliers follow the law in each country where they are based. Most IKEA suppliers fulfil the law today with exceptions for some special issues, one being excessive working hours in Asia, in countries such as China and India.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

{{As of|2018|March}}, IKEA has signed on with 25 other companies to participate in the [[British Retail Consortium]]'s Better Retail Better World initiative, which challenges companies to meet objectives outlined by the United Nations [[Sustainable Development Goals]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://brc.org.uk/making-a-difference/priorities/better-retail-better-world/#WHO'S%20TAKING%20ACTION|title=Better Retail, Better World|website=brc.org.uk|access-date=25 July 2018|archive-date=25 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025192353/https://brc.org.uk/making-a-difference/priorities/better-retail-better-world#WHO'S%20TAKING%20ACTION|url-status=live}}</ref>