IKEA, the sustainability-obsessed Swedish home goods retailer, is constantly focused on ways to help us make our homes cleaner, greener and, in this specific instance, less perilous to breathe in. Their latest product, poised for release in 2020 is an otherwise ordinary-looking fabric curtain that employs an innovative, years-in-the-making air purification technology. They are designed to break down hazardous household air pollutants such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, as well as zap lingering bad odors, all at the same time.
The Global Air Issue
Air pollution is a growing issue worldwide. It is particularly problematic in megacities. Around 90% of people worldwide breathe polluted air, which is estimated to cause eight million deaths per year, according to WHO. That is why IKEA has committed to contributing to a world of clean air by making it possible to reduce common indoor air pollutants using just a curtain.
Dedication Delivers
IKEA is dedicated to perfecting this product that will enable people to purify the air in their homes. The GUNRID air purifying curtain actively reduces air pollutants for a healthier life and a cleaner indoor environment. It does this simply with a special coating on the textile that is activated by light.
This mineral-based surface treatment enables the new IKEA curtain to break down air pollutants when the light hits it. The way it works is similar to photosynthesis found in nature. The process is activated by both outdoor and indoor light.
Lena Pripp-Kovac, Head of Sustainability at Inter IKEA Group, says:
“Besides enabling people to breathe better air at home, we hope that GUNRID will increase people’s awareness of indoor air pollution, inspiring behavioral changes that contribute to a world of clean air. GUNRID is the first product to use the technology, but the development will give us opportunities for future applications on other textiles.”
Over the past few years, IKEA has been working together with universities in Europe and Asia, as well as IKEA suppliers and innovators, to develop this unique technology. According to the company, the curtains have successfully gone through lab testing. However, they have not yet to be tested to see how well they remove common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a domestic setting.
Mauricio Affonso, Product Developer at IKEA Range & Supply, says:
“For me, it’s important to work on products that solve actual problems and are relevant to people. Textiles are used across homes and by enabling a curtain to purify the air, we are creating an affordable and space-saving air purifying solution that also makes the home more beautiful.”
Space Saver
These curtains are the ideal choice for small space-living solutions because they don’t take up much space in comparison to bulky and expensive traditional air purifiers that cramp up a small apartment. Furthermore, the curtains don’t require any electricity at all to get the job done, unlike conventional air purifiers.
Affonso says:
“We wanted to create a simple, convenient and affordable way to clean air that wouldn’t take up much space in people’s homes. We were also curious about creating a product that is multifunctional and that would help break down air pollutants that many air purifiers leave behind. Everyone deserves to breathe clean air… we see it as our responsibility to bring awareness’ to the problems associated with indoor air pollution, this way people can do something about it.”
Just The Beginning
IKEA’s new mission to remove pollutants from indoor air through ordinary household textiles isn’t going to be exclusive to curtains. Other possible products include bed linens, lamp shades, area rugs, bath towels and even upholstered furniture. The potential for air-scrubbing fabric technology is remarkably vast.
Lena Pripp-Kovac, Head of Sustainability at Inter IKEA Group, said:
“Gunrid is the first product to use the technology, but the development will give us opportunities for future applications on other textiles.”
The Bigger Picture
Past – Present – Future
- IKEA has been reducing air pollution from its own operations by phasing out hazardous chemicals and reducing air emissions for a long time now.
- In 2018, it launched the Better Air Now campaign in India. It is an initiative aiming to turn rice straw – a rice harvesting residue (agricultural byproduct) that is traditionally burned and therefore contributes heavily to air pollution – into a new renewable material source for upcoming IKEA products.
- Also, the company has committed to becoming climate positive by 2030 by reducing its overall climate footprint by 70% (compared to 2016) on average per product.
Lena Pripp-Kovac said:
“We know that there is no single solution to solve air pollution. We work long-term for positive change, to enable people to live healthier and more sustainable lives.”
