Swedish furniture giant Ikea is switching from fossil-based to bio-based glues, especially in board materials.

Ikea uses wood more than any other material, and mostly in composites held together with glue, like particleboard and fibreboard. Most particleboards and fibre boards consist of 90% wood, with the remaining 10% being the glue that holds the particles together. Currently, 5% of the climate footprint of Ikea’s total value chain is connected to the use of glue in board materials. By switching to 40% bio-based glue, the climate footprint is reduced by 30%.

In Kazlu Ruda, Lithuania, the first Ikea Industry factory is now using a glue system made of technical starch from corn in large-scale production. Technical starch is made from industrially grown plants that are separated from the food value chain. By combining the starch-based component with a synthetic crosslinker, Ikea can use significantly less resin, which is then replaced with natural wood particles, thereby increasing the amount of renewable material in the boards.

To enable a transition to 100% bio-based glue use, Ikea has recently launched an accelerator programme to pilot new glue solutions with external partners.

Photos: Ikea