Ikea joins forces with Mud Jeans to recycle denim

As a major consumer of upholstery fabric, Ikea claims to use 0.5% of the world’s entire cotton production. The Swedish home décor brand has decided to collaborate with Dutch fashion brand Mud Jeans to give textiles a second lease of life, in this specific case, denim. The two brands’ collaborative project will recycle used denim to turn it into a new fabric option for one of Ikea’s most well-known furniture items, the Klippan sofa.

Available in two shades of blue, Ikea’s new sofa cover retails for a price of €135 ($163.95) and is made from the equivalent of two old pairs of jeans. The sofa cover material consists of precisely 40% recycled denim (in the form of a mixture of fibres) and 60% organic cotton.

“Compared to the standard method used in the denim industry, each cover made from this post-consumer denim saves 27,000 litres of water and reduces the [average] carbon footprint by 67%,” said the brand.

Every European has an average of two pairs of jeans in their wardrobe that they do not wear and less than 1% of discarded jeans will be used as material for new clothing; most of which end up in landfills or are incinerated, according to the brand.

“Ikea wants to pursue development while respecting the limits of the planet,” said Malin Nordin, who is responsible for Ikea’s circular development.

“We believe that all materials are precious and should not be wasted. By joining forces with Mud Jeans, together we can find new sources of recycled materials.”

In addition to the sofa cover, the two business are working on other products made from denim, which will launch soon.

Ikea will reopen its stores in France on May 19 and many Parisians have June 23 marked in their calendars. On that day, the chain will inaugurate its very first ‘Ikea Décoration’ store format in France. The store will be located opposite the new Samaritaine building at number 144 on the Rue de Rivoli, an address perviously occupied by fashion chain, Forever21.

The upcoming store, which alone required an investment of €130 million, will measure 2,900 square metres and spans over three floors. The retail space will retail 1,900 accessories and décor product types including household linens, tableware, plants, and lighting and will not feature any of the brand’s furniture offerings. The brand has already had a presence in the French capital for two years with its ‘Ikea City’ store located at La Madeleine, which recently revised its catalogue and expanded its offering of small furniture and accessories.

Ikea joins forces with Mud Jeans to recycle denim

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