IKEA is buying back old furniture from its customers

Here’s how you can return your used IKEA furniture for up to half of its original price

IKEA

Millions of furniture pieces go to waste every year, so in order to reduce that number, IKEA is buying back used furniture through its Buy Back and Resell service.

What is IKEA’s Buy Back and Resell service?

After piloting the service in the U.S. last summer, the Swedish furniture and home goods chain announced on Thursday that it is making the program permanent across its 37 stores in the country.

The service only applies to personally-used IKEA furniture that is fully assembled and fully functional. Furniture that has been modified or altered in any way will not be accepted.

Eligible returnable items include office drawer cabinets, sideboards, bookcases, small tables, multimedia furniture, cabinets, dining tables, desks, and chairs and stools without upholstery.

Non-IKEA-branded products or beds, sofas, mattresses, home furnishing accessories, leather products, lighting fixtures, or chests of drawers are currently not eligible for the service. Recalled IKEA products are also excluded.

The service is part of IKEA’s commitment to being a fully circular business by 2030. To reach this goal, the company also ensures that its products can be used and re-used for many years to come, right up until it’s time to recycle them and start again.

How does IKEA’s Buy Back and Resell service work?

Customers who want to avail of the service must fill out a form on IKEA’s website in order to receive an emailed quote of the buyback value for their furniture. Customers are then asked to bring a copy of their quote, buyback number, and fully assembled furniture to any participating IKEA store, where an employee will assess the furniture’s buyback value in person.

IKEA said it will check the furniture for its condition, age, and functionality. And if it passes, customers will get store credit to spend on something they need or love. The chain noted that all “gently used” items approved for resale will be available in a designated “as is” section in stores at discounted prices.

IKEA’s Buy Back and Resell service in other countries

Prior to the U.S. launch of the Buy Back and Resell service, IKEA has long been offering it in the U.K. and Ireland as part of the company’s sustainability push. Customers there can trade in gently used IKEA furniture in “excellent” condition and get store credit worth up to 50% of the original sale price. Furniture in “very good” condition earns a 40% credit, and “well used” furniture gets 30% of the original price.

Sources: CNN, IKEA