Everyone is moving these days. Some are moving abroad to live out their dreams of backpacking across Spain, chucking all of their apartment furniture out in the meantime. Or, some are holding yard sales and moving just down the street into the house they’ve had their eyes on for years. Whatever the case may be, people are moving and furniture is hitting the curb. In order to build on their commitment to sustainability, iconic furniture brand IKEA announced that by 2030, they plan to include Disassembly Instructions with each one of their products as means of encouraging buyers to repurpose their IKEA purchases instead of tossing them to the street.
As part of its latest push for sustainability, a reversed instruction manual will be included with each product purchased from IKEA. This push works to help spread the practice of “circular consumption,” which reinforces IKEA’s building practice’s value of quality over quantity, using fewer materials, components, and energy in the manufacturing of products, big or small. Right now, you can find Disassembly Instructions for some of IKEA’s more popular products: BILLY, MALM, POÄNG, BRIMNES, PAX, and LYCKSELE online in PDF format. Speaking to the imminent inclusion of Disassembly Instruction manuals for each of their products, IKEA points out,
“Extending the life of your furniture with our Disassembly Instructions is one of the ways we’re building on our commitment to sustainability. No matter whether you’re moving home, giving your furniture away, or selling it. Taking it apart correctly reduces the risk of damage, and reduces its impact on the environment. Fortune favors the frugal.”
While the plan to equip each piece of furniture with Disassembly Instructions has been recently announced, IKEA has been committed to sustainability for a long time. Through frugal design practices, IKEA manufactures furniture that can stand the test of time. One such practice is IKEA’s line of modular furniture that grows with its users. For example, IKEA’s line of extendable beds uses steel telescopic tubing to allow each bed frame to lengthen and adapt to a child’s growing height. IKEA also developed the fabric coverings for their collection of sofas so that they can handle over 25,000 wash cycles, and with additional coverings made available online, customers can get a new slipcover at any time for a refreshed look. In addition to modular furniture and durable fabrics, IKEA urges customers to give their furniture a second life through their buy-back and resell service. With so many options, it’s fun to be frugal.
Designer: IKEA
Now that you’ve built your desk, IKEA provides disassembly instructions in preparation for your next move or yard sale.
The disassembly instructions are as easy to follow as their assembly counterpart, offering a step-by-step approach to disassembly.
Some of IKEA’s more popular designs such as LYCKSELE already have disassembly instructions available online.
Following a numbered and visual guide, users will easily be able to deconstruct their IKEA furniture.
In order to promote sustainability through every building stage, IKEA uses minimal hardware and materials when designing their furniture, making it simple for buyers to assemble and ultimately disassemble.
In addition to deconstruction instruction manuals, IKEA leads a Buy-Back & Resell program for customers who choose to sell back their used furniture for store credit.
