Single-use plastic will be a relic of the past for IKEA by Jan. 1, 2020, as part of a pledge the home furnishings giant made more than two years ago.

The Swedish retailer vowed in June 2018 to eliminate single-use plastics from its line of home furnishings and from its restaurants, cafes and bistros worldwide by the start of 2020. It also pledged that all plastics used in its home furnishings will be based on renewable or recycled materials by 2030. It’s all part of the company’s sustainability strategy, dubbed People and Planet Positive.

In addition to getting rid of all single-use plastic by 2020, IKEA has also pledged to use only plastics made from recyclable and renewable materials in its home furnishings by 2030.

“We need to make … all of our disposables better for both people and the planet,” the company said in a video that introduced its more sustainable and disposable food containers. These products are “much more in tune with Mother Nature,” including carryout food containers made out of paper from sustainably managed forests and cane sugar.

Related: This bioplastics entrepreneur is saving the world from plastic waste.

Plastic forks, spoons and knives will be made from responsibly sourced wood, while plastic straws will be replaced by sustainable straws featuring paper from sustainably managed forests.

IKEA will also stop selling single-use plastic and plastic-coated products such as straws, plates, cups, freezer bags and garbage bags. Additionally, according to CNN, IKEA is aiming to purchase 100% renewable energy by 2020 and to make offer zero-emission home delivery by 2025. The company has invested $2 billion in renewable-energy projects that will include 416 wind turbines. And as of 2018, it had already installed about 750,000 solar panels on IKEA buildings.

As the BBC reported, IKEA also plans to offer more non-meat meals and snacks in its restaurants.

“Through our size and reach, we have the opportunity to inspire and enable more than 1 billion people to live better lives, within the limits of the planet,” Torbjorn Loof, the CEO of Inter IKEA Group, said. “We are committed to taking the lead, working together with everyone—from raw material suppliers all the way to our customers and partners.”

Related: The world’s top plastic polluters say they will join the fight to reduce plastic waste

 

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