Costa Mesa IKEA floating ‘buy back’ program to help meet 2030 climate positivity goal

Got any old IKEA furniture lying around? You may be able to return it for store credit as the Costa Mesa retail location launches a new Buy Back and Resell program through Dec. 5 to promote sustainability.

The Swedish retailer last year set a goal to become climate positive by 2030, meaning IKEA intends not only to achieve net zero carbon emissions, but to save more greenhouse gas emissions than its stores and products generate.

Vanessa Pasillas, loyalty manager for the Costa Mesa location, said Thursday the program was just one of several initiatives being undertaken to help the company meet its ambitious goal.

In addition to the temporary buy-back program, the location features a Sustainable Living Shop with eco-friendly items and tips for repurposing items, conserving water and increasing products’ longevity to reduce landfill waste.

Briana Lehman, market manager for the IKEA in Costa Mesa, gives a tour Thursday of a Sustainable Living Shop at the site, which features products like recycled plastic bottles and tools for upcycling items.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

On the day after Thanksgiving, when other retailers are hosting Black Friday sales, IKEA locations will feature “Green Friday,” where visitors can participate in workshops on how to upcycle pieces or repurpose them altogether.

“The hope is, with all of these changes we’re doing to be circular and climate positive, that we encourage our customers to make sustainable choices,” she said. “We need to take action, but we also need our customers to come along with us.”

The Buy Back and Resell offering began as a pilot program at a Pennsylvania store in September. It was so successful, 100% of the items brought in found a second home, Pasillas said. Now, 33 of 51 retail locations nationwide are offering the service for those enrolled in the IKEA Family Rewards program.

A reusable plastic water bottle is one of the items in the IKEA’s Sustainable Living Shop at the Costa Mesa store.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

Members can go online and search to see if their item qualifies for the service. After answering a few questions about its condition, they may be offered a buy-back amount, which will be given in the form of a gift card after they bring the item into the store, according to Briana Lehman, market manager for the Costa Mesa store.

“If the product is approved, they bring the item into the building,” Lehman said. “The returns worker verifies the product is what they said it was. The better the condition, the more they would receive back.”

Once a piece is accepted, it goes out onto the floor, in the store’s “As Is” section, where already assembled items are available at discounted prices. Pasillas said there is no official limit on how old an approved item might be.

“We’re actually excited to see some of the products that are coming back, because some of those pieces could be iconic pieces we haven’t seen in our store for a long time,” she added.

If the program is successful, it could someday expand to include more stores on a more regular basis. Lehman said stores are focusing on creating a community around sustainable consumer practices.

“We want to be a part of building a future that’s better for people and the planet,” she said.

Aiming to become climate positive by 2030, Swedish retailer IKEA is focusing on sustainable products and practices. The day after Thanksgiving, the Costa Mesa store will host “Green Friday” with workshops on repurposing and upcycling furniture to extend its use.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

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