You can now make money from your old IKEA furniture – this is how

If is IKEA hacks weren't enough to make the most of your furniture, IKEA has nowlaunched their eagerly anticipated Buy Back service that enables us to sell pre-loved furniture for vouchers to spend at the home decor store. 

However, the service will not only benefit those of us who over-splurged on flatpacks during our first post-lockdown trip, but it also offers us the chance to pick up the stylish pieces we may have missed out on during previous seasons. Yes, you don’t give up on that long-lost coffee table dream just yet. 

The Swedish powerhouse has announced a range of products are eligible for the system, including dressers, drawers, bookcases, cabinets, dining tables, multimedia furniture, and more. These pieces are then exchanged for a voucher and resold by the retailer within their Circular Hubs areas at affordable prices. The store anticipates this will offer a rebirth to IKEA products and thereby prevent them from entering landfills unnecessarily. Plus, as retro IKEA furniture is now collectible, you could never know what you could find in the Circular Hub.  

Any pre-loved furnishings that look ‘as good as new’ with no scratches will be purchased by IKEA for 50 percent of the original price. Meanwhile, goods with minor scratches will be bought for 40 percent. Therefore, customers could receive up to £250 for GALANT office cabinets, £249 for the MÖRBYLÅNGA table, and £213 for the MOCKELBY table.

In his discussion of this eco-friendly new service, Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK & Ireland, says: ‘Households are connected to around 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, consuming around a third of the energy and 10% of the water used globally. Therefore, small actions taken within them can make a significant difference, and why IKEA is committed to making sustainable living more affordable, attractive, and accessible. As one of the biggest brands in the world, we recognize our unique opportunity to help lead that change.’

He continues: ‘Through Buy Back, we hope to make circular consumption mainstream; making it easier for customers to acquire, care for and pass on products in circular ways.’

‘As we move towards our goal of becoming fully circular and climate positive by 2030, we will continue to take bold steps ensuring that, by then, all IKEA products will be made from renewable, recyclable, and recycled materials; and they will be designed to be re-used, refurbished, remanufactured or recycled, following circular design principles,’ Peter adds. 

The service was initially set to launch last year, but was delayed because of the pandemic; however, it will now be trialed across Glasgow, Greenwich, Tottenham, and Warrington stores for two weeks, starting today. This trial will determine whether IKEA will then roll it out across the UK. 

Those who want to sell their furniture can submit items for consideration by filling out a simple online offer request on the IKEA website. This tool generates an offer before customers are invited to bring their fully assembled product to the exchange desk in their local store. 

We certainly know what Jared Leto would spend his voucher on, but what about you? The voucher has no expiry date, so you can spend it now or save it until your next renovation.