IKEA is dedicated to the protection of the environment in more ways than one. After making waves as a company striving to become carbon neutral, the company has now also shown interest in keeping the earth green. Most recently, the company purchased 11,000 acres of forest in Georgia because its other buyer would have been a land development corporation. IKEA just couldn't let that happen on their watch.
Among those who are thankful for this purchase is the rare gopher tortoise that calls this area home. Found in the Altamaha Basin, the greenspace is now under the watchful eye of IKEA subsidiary, Ingka Group. This group has collaborated with the non-profit organization The Conservation Fund. Together, these companies have protected over 8-million acres of American forests from being built upon.
According to Larry Selzer, the President, and CEO of The Conservation Fund, "Well-managed forests provide essential benefits, including clean water and important wildlife habitat, as well as mitigating climate change."
Ingka Group currently owns 616,000 acres of land that are under protection across the US and Europe, and have certified that "no significant amount" of these are being used for IKEA wood furniture. The company has also begun buying old furniture back from customers after years of wear and tear to help promote sustainability.
When you go green, do it like IKEA and go all the way green!