IKEA developed its Circular Product Design Guide, first launched in 2017 and revised to its third edition in 2024, as a comprehensive internal framework for designing products that minimise material use, maximise recycled content, and facilitate end-of-life recycling. The guide establishes design principles across four pillars: designing for the circular ecosystem (renewable, recycled, and recyclable materials), designing products that last (durability, repairability, upgradability), designing for material recovery (disassembly, material identification, mono-material construction), and enabling circular behaviour (assembly instructions, care guides, take-back information). IKEA has applied these principles to achieve 62% renewable or recycled materials across its product range as of 2024, with targets to reach 100% by 2030. Notable examples include the KUNGSBACKA kitchen front made from recycled PET bottles and reclaimed wood, and the ODGER chair made from a minimum of 55% recycled materials. The guide specifically addresses material efficiency — reducing material diversity, eliminating waste in manufacturing, and designing for the material separation requirements of existing recycling infrastructure.
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IKEA CIRCULAR DESIGN GUIDE
Focus | PRODUCT Cycle | TECHNICAL X1 | RECYCLE Business Model | PRODUCT ORIENTED Material Flow | CIRCULAR