CHICAGO, September 30, 2025 — IKEA furniture stores in the U.S. are piloting a new program for turning food waste from their in-store foodservice facilities into low-carbon fertilizer and natural gas.
The initiative was announced simultaneous with the chain’s disclosure of plans to engineer an extended producer responsibility (EPR) strategy for diverting more plastic packaging from the waste stream. The worldwide retail brand convened a panel of experts last week in New York City to brainstorm what it termed “a well-designed" EPR process.
“With states across the country laying the groundwork for a future system where producers are responsible for the full lifecycle of their products’ packaging, we’re excited to come together and collaborate in person,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA U.S.
The results of that exercise have yet to be revealed.
Nor were many specifics released about the effort to reduce food waste. Food that would otherwise be transported to landfills will be collected by an outside company, Vanguard Renewables, for processing and reuse.
IKEA is well-known for the Swedish meatballs it sells for in-store and at-home consumption. The chain, which was founded in Sweden but is now headquartered in The Netherlands, intends to expand its menu early next year with the addition of falafel balls.
It operates 52 branches in the United States.
IKEA has a number of programs in place to deflect materials from the waste stream. They include an initiative called Buy Back & Resell that enables customers to sell Ikea furniture they no longer want back to the retailer instead of trashing it.
EPR programs are part of the retailing landscape in the chain’s native Europe but are just starting to be created through legislation in the U.S. The initiatives aim to shift the responsibility and cost for recovering recyclable materials like plastic, glass, and cardboard from taxpayers to companies that produce and use the packaging materials.
Seven states have passed EPR laws to date, but the infrastructures for implementing the regulations are still being forged and adopted.
IKEA specializes in value-priced furniture that consumers assemble themselves. It operates more than 480 stores worldwide.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.