The furniture designer and worldwide retailer says it worked with Italian company 3B to create the foil. The material is being used as a laminate around reclaimed wood in the new Kungsbacka line of kitchen fronts.
“The biggest challenge was to create a foil from recycled material that fulfils the same quality requirements as a foil made of virgin material,” Marco Bergamo, head of development at 3B, stated in a press release. “We worked hard not to compromise on neither quality nor price.”
The PET bottles are collected by Japanese municipalities. About 25 half-liter bottles are used in the foil to cover a 500-square-inch surface.
“What we do at Ikea has a big impact on the environment because we work with large quantities,” said Anna Granath, product developer at Ikea. “By using recycled materials, we can produce more sustainably.”