- IKEA U.S. launches six-month pilot across five stores, diverting up to 32,000 pounds of food scraps.
- Waste will be converted into renewable natural gas and low-carbon fertilizer through anaerobic digestion.
- Initiative supports IKEA’s target of eliminating organic food waste by 2030 and scaling circular business models.
A New Approach to Food Waste
IKEA U.S. has launched a food waste pilot program that takes a direct aim at one of retail’s most stubborn environmental challenges: organic waste. Partnering with Vanguard Renewables, a Massachusetts-based organics recycling company, the initiative will test how restaurant scraps from five IKEA stores can be transformed into renewable natural gas and fertilizer.
The six-month program is part of IKEA’s broader goal of reaching zero organic food waste by 2030, a target that places it among the most ambitious commitments in the global retail sector. The effort also follows Ingka Investments’ equity stake in Vanguard Renewables, signaling a strategic link between corporate finance and operational sustainability.
Turning Scraps into Resources
The pilot will run in IKEA units in New Haven, Connecticut; Stoughton, Massachusetts; Schaumburg and Bolingbrook, Illinois; and Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Each location is expected to divert roughly 250 pounds of food scraps per week, adding up to more than 32,000 pounds by the program’s end.
Materials will include plate leftovers, kitchen trimmings, and expired food items from the company’s in-store restaurants. Vanguard Renewables will transport the waste to its anaerobic digestion facilities, where it will be processed into renewable natural gas for energy use and low-carbon fertilizer for nearby farms.
“At IKEA, we see food waste as an opportunity, not a challenge,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA U.S. “By recycling food scraps into energy and nutrients, we can minimize our environmental footprint while maximizing the impact of every meal served.”
Beyond Landfills
The environmental stakes are significant. Organic material accounts for a large share of landfill waste in the U.S., where food scraps emit methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide. Redirecting those scraps to anaerobic digestion reduces emissions while producing valuable inputs for agriculture.
For IKEA, the move is also about aligning operations with its brand-wide push toward circularity. “This pilot is just the beginning for our food waste journey,” said Paul Flite, Food Manager at IKEA U.S. “Not only are we keeping food waste out of landfills and improving operational efficiency, but we’re excited to be supporting local farmers and agriculture across the U.S.”
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Circularity in Practice
The company has been broadening its portfolio of circular initiatives across the U.S. In the past year, IKEA expanded its Buy Back & Resell program for furniture, increased the number of electric vehicle chargers at its stores, and grew the share of zero-emission deliveries by more than 90 percent compared with 2023.
These initiatives are part of the Ingka Group’s wider “Do Something, Change Everything” strategy, which links operational decisions in retail and logistics to its climate commitments. The pilot with Vanguard Renewables positions food waste alongside furniture recycling and clean mobility as a key testing ground for circularity at scale.
Implications for Leaders
For executives and investors, the pilot offers a case study in how major retailers are moving beyond carbon accounting to embed climate priorities into day-to-day operations. It also illustrates how targeted partnerships, backed by corporate investment arms, can accelerate practical solutions for waste management and renewable energy.
If successful, IKEA is expected to roll out the program to additional stores, potentially creating one of the largest corporate food waste diversion programs in the U.S. market. That scale could influence supply chains, agricultural partners, and regulators as momentum builds for stronger waste diversion and methane reduction policies.
Global Stakes
Food waste is a universal challenge, with the UN estimating that nearly one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted each year. Efforts like IKEA’s resonate beyond the retail sector, offering models for municipalities, policymakers, and other corporations seeking replicable strategies.
For IKEA U.S., the six-month pilot will test operational efficiency and customer acceptance while providing a tangible example of how circularity goals can be embedded in core business practices. For global leaders tracking ESG performance, it is a signal that waste is becoming a measurable, investable frontier in the climate transition.
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