IKEA's commitment to sustainability practices recognized for the 9th consecutive year

BURLINGTON, ON, April 21, 2017 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers for the ninth consecutive year by Mediacorp Canada Inc. The designation recognizes employers who lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness in their organizations, incorporate sustainable business practices into their operations, and is a tool to attract new people to the organization.

"We are committed to having a positive impact on people and the planet and our co-workers make sustainability a part of their everyday work," said Stephen Bobko, Country HR manager, IKEA Canada. "We have made bold commitments to be a leader for a sustainable future, but we also want our co-workers to be proud to work for an organization that is committed to tackling social and environmental challenges."

IKEA believes that a more sustainable life at home should be affordable, attractive, and easy. One of the ways that IKEA accomplishes this is through its More Sustainable Life at Home program, empowering co-workers to become ambassadors for sustainable living. Over the past three years, nearly 200 IKEA Canada co-workers have been awarded $500 in IKEA products and solutions to save energy and water, reduce and sort waste, and live a healthier life at home. Each ambassador shared their experiences with over 4,500 colleagues across Canada through a variety of communication channels.

"Our co-workers are our best advocates for sustainability, and together we have a huge opportunity to inspire and enable our customers to benefit from IKEA's many sustainable living solutions in their own homes," said Brendan Seale, Sustainability Manager, IKEA Canada.

Last year, the project was modified and extended to customers as the Sustainable Living Project, designed to engage Canadians by sharing their experiences first hand at sustainableliving.IKEA.ca.

The following are just a few of the many initiatives that make IKEA one of Canada's Greenest Employers:

• IKEA began its 2016 fiscal year by celebrating the complete changeover of its entire lighting range to highly energy-efficient LED technology, a first by a Canadian retailer.
• Co-workers supported diverting approximately 85 per cent of waste material away from landfill through sorting and recycling programs at each store location.
• In response to Canada's pledge to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, IKEA Canada stores provided $190,000 of in-kind support to help over 200 refugee families settle in communities close to our stores.
• In 2016, IKEA Canada celebrated 20 years of partnership with Tree Canada and together have planted over 48,000 trees.
• In January 2017, IKEA Canada announced the purchase of a second wind farm in Alberta. The Wintering Hills project, located about 130km east of Calgary, is comprised of 55 turbines and will generate approximately 275 million kilowatt hours of energy each year. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of 54 IKEA stores or 26,000 typical Canadian homes.
• IKEA offers a unique program called IWitness Global Citizens program where co-workers are selected to be ambassadors to visit projects funded by the IKEA Foundation through annual Good Cause campaigns. Since 2013, Ambassadors have visited Malawi, Kosovo, Jordan, and South Africa.

ABOUT IKEA CANADA
IKEA Group is a leading home furnishing retailer with 343 stores in more than 28 countries worldwide, which are visited by 783 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 12 stores, an eCommerce virtual store, 6 Pick-up and order points and nine Collection Points. The company also recently announced plans to open stores in Halifax and Quebec City. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 28 million visitors to its stores and 88 million visitors to the IKEA.ca website. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit: www.IKEA.ca.

SOURCE IKEA Canada