Me at the IKEA Tottenham Store
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that my application to attend the IKEA Lagon Live Sustainability Programme would be successful.
Lagom translated in Swedish means 'just the right amount.'
This year I was happy to be selected with 4 other participants in London and attended the induction session at the Tottenham branch.
Here is my summary of the sessions I attended.
Time table of sessions 2021 - 2022
Sessions 2021
October 19th - Induction session
November 16th - Cosy Homes
December 7th - Sustainable Christmas
Sessions 2022
January 18th - Waste Not Want Not
February 15th - Re-love, Re-use
April 4th - Get Growing
Tuesday 14th June - Journey to Zero Waste
It was exciting to go behind the scenes at IKEA and the staff meeting rooms.
We were participants taken to a large meeting room were Tayyab and Ahmad our lead mentors talked and presented a two hour presentation about LAGOM.
We were asked to complete a worksheet about our goals during the programme.
My goals
LIVE LAGOM: Tell us about your household?
Where there any lifestyle changes you made during lockdown and after?
Did you find to easy to make sustainable choices?
LIVE LAGOM: Tell us about your household?
What would you change to live a more healthy and sustainable life at home?
Where do you see you home lifestyle in 6 months time?
Lagom Live Induction and Quiz
The induction began with introductions with Lagom leaders and the other participants.
AGENDA
Meet me - Lagom Leader
Meet each other
Understand the programme
Explore our products
Workshop dates
Question and Fika
Mostly to have Fun!
Q: What changed in your home last year during lockdown?
We all had a lively discussion what had changed with our lifestyles during the pandemic.
We were given the definition of Lagom and shown a short video about the Dotse family.
Great results for participants of Lagom Live over the years.
Our participants saved on Avg. per year per household
Electricity £74
Gas £55
Water £46
Food £1059
Total £1440
Energy Savings of 317.48kg CO2
Reduction in water consumption of 13.9%
Source: IKEA UK Lagom Live Programme
Reduction in household temperature 0.93 degrees Celsius
We were asked the join the Facebook Community Page which I did.
The Link to the IKEA Lagom UK Facebook page is:
QUIZ
Q1: Being Sustainable is expensive? FALSE
Q2: Glass bottles can be recycled indefinitely? TRUE
Q3: IKEA’S ambition is that by 2030, all of our products will be based on renewable or recyclable material? TRUE
Q4: Glass can be frozen? TRUE
Q5: All plant based plastics are biodegradable? FALSE
Q6: Healthy food is always sustainable? FALSE
Q7: What does COP26 stand for? Conference for Parties 26?
Q8: How much money on average per month does a UK household waste on food? 60 pounds
Q9: What is the best plant for purifying air at home? Peace Lily?
Q10: Turning your heating down by 1 degree can save you how much per year? 90 pounds
Q11: In 2019, how many products did IKEA recover and give a second life? 47 million
We were then told to have a look at IKEA's sustainable range and choose items up to the value 100 pounds.
Sustainable duvet cover
Zero Waste Cover
Peace Lilly's at IKEA
It was a cold a dark evening when we all reconvened for the Cosy Homes Session.
We were taken down to the IKEA shop floor to meet with head interior designer Alfonso.
Alfonso talked about the sustainability themes and designs used for the display rooms.
Here are some of the rooms and sustainability features he discussed.
The cupboards in this kitchen have been designed for consumers to see what foodstuffs are inside thus reducing waste and over consumption when shopping.
Easy to view cupboards that reduce waste when shopping
Recycling bins that can easily be accessible and stored away for convenience
Some of the furniture in this bedroom was designed for circularity and reducing waste and promoting upcycling
An air purifier a sustainable product, a new product introduced recently
This storage unit can be dismantled and reused again hence reducing over consumption and saving the planet, cutting down less trees
1. Turn the heating off before bed the house will keep warm all night.
2. Switch to timers
3. Use less water
4. Invest in good duvets
5. Invest in good led lights
6. Invest in good flooring, rugs, carpets
Tayyab asked us to choose Ikea materials and make our own draught excluder.
IKEA LIVE LAGOM VIDEO - MAKING A DRAFT EXCLUDER WITH LUCY
Many thanks to Tayyab and Ahmed for my IKEA Christmas Gift Bag.
Ikea candle, throw, timers and ginger biscuits
1. Choose your material, this could be any material, old curtains, duvet cover, a throw, a blanket, an old cardigan.
IKEA materials from the upcycled corner
More IKEA materials
2. Measure your fabric and then cut the fabric to the width of your door or window.
3. Place the two pieces of fabric back to so the pattern remains on the inside.
4. Sew both lengths and one end of the fabric.
5. Fill your excluder with stuffing, this can be old clothes or bedding. I chose old hijabs (scarves).
6. Once your happy with your shape sew the end.
7. Decorate with ribbon, buttons or any embellishments.
8. Post and share your draught excluder on your social media handles.
I was very poorly and mustered all the energy I had to attend this session.
My left shoulder was very sore.
Many thanks to Tayyab, Ahmed and Ajay for their hospitality.
The session began with a slide presentation with Ahmed
Xmas Sustainability Session introduction slide Ikea Lagom Live Dec 21
Xmas Sustainability Session What makes the festive period special?
Ikea Lagom Live Dec 21
Xmas Sustainability Session This or That slide Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Sustainability Session Xmas Trees Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Sustainability Session Xmas Cards Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Sustainability Session Gift Wrap Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Sustainability Session Gift Giving Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Sustainability Session Halal Chicken Wraps
Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Chef Ajay with Ahmed and Ester Ikea Lagom Live December 21
De constructed fruit salad Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Meal Planning Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Crafts Slide Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Crafts Beeswax Food Wraps Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Crafts Cotton and Food Toilet Bags Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Crafts Plastic Free Xmas Crackers Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Xmas Crafts Sustainable Gift Wrap slide
Recycling During Xmas Ikea Lagom Live December 21
Tayaab and Ahmed asked us to create a wreath using a wire hanger and try to implement and use the ideas above.
I hope to use these ideas and differentiate for Ramadan and Eid.
I particularly loved the sustainable wrapping presents. I'll try to use scarves and vintage duppattey.
I used some old IKEA star lights I'd purchased from the Dubai Media City IKEA in 2010 and wrapped them around my old fair trade Christmas tree stand.
IKEA Star lights
Fair Trade Xmas Tree Stand
Fair Trade Xmas Tree Stand with IKEA Star Lights
With the 100 pound IKEA voucher I have photographed some of the items in my living room.
Many thanks to Ahmed for his time patience and cooperation to help me with my shopping list.
IKEA candle, cushions, covers, stools and biscuit tin
IKEA golden cushions and stools
These stools are very special to me.
I can't remember if I purchased them at the Dubai Media City Branch in 2008/9 or the Damam IKEA, Saudia Arabia.
This months session was titled Waste Not Want Not and was presented by Ahmed. I attended virtually.
Introduction Slide
We were invited to answer the above questions.
How do you organise your meals
What are your obstacles
Where would like to improve?
What is your most thrown away food item?
Why save food slide
Store Plan Cook Save slide
Storage Planning Cooking and Saving slide
Planning your cooking slide
Cooking slide
Saving Slide
Throw or Use?
4 week challenge
Week 1
Clear out your kitchen cupboard. Clear out your messiest cupboard and see you well you can organise it.
Organise your kitchen cupboards and start doing meal planning.
Week 2
Make a healthy snack with as many items from your cupboards, making things from scratch uses up ingredients and reducing packaging.
Chicken Noodle Soup with steamed vegetables
Gluten Free Pancakes with blueberries and strawberries
Week 3
Meal planning - Plan your meals for the week.
Week 4
Food Shop Challenge - 1 week food shop by buying as little plastic packaging as possible.
Many thanks to Ahmed for organising Microsoft teams and the hybrid session.
This months session was about upcycling items.
Ahmed (Sustainability Leader) had prepared a presentation.
What's an item that you have had for as long as you can remember?
I answered my parental home in Manchester.
What is upcycling to you slide
What is upcycling to you?
Upcycling is a great way of addressing these waste figure and encouraging people to think about reusing previously unwanted items.
What is upcycling to you?
Upcycling is reusing discarded products or materials to create a product of higher quality or perceived value the original.
So, why upcycle?
So, why upcycle?
BUY
MAKE
THRIFT
SWAP
BORROW
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
The Buyerarchy of needs (with apologies to Maslow)
So, why upcycle?
Circularity at IKEA
Linear Economy
Recycling Economy
Circular Economy
Circular IKEA
Our circular approach to Reusing and Recycling is an essential part of our commitment to becoming climate positive by 2030.
What is IKEA doing?
Services, resources and tools
FIXA range
Spare parts
Buyback scheme
Uplifting and disposal services
IKEA Buyback Scheme
Helping you help your furniture
What else do we do?
Circular Hub
Charity Partners
Recycling behind the scenes
Live LAGOM!
Ahmed explaining the Recycling at IKEA slide
Recycling at IKEA
Chris Chief IKEA circular hub manager
Circular Hub
FIXA tools
IKEA Products Upcycling
IKEA Products Upcycling
Upcycling Ideas and Techniques
Upcycling Ideas and Techniques
Tack! Thank you!
Upcycle a small piece of furniture or accessory with shown techniques and make it your own.
My cane partition
Its not a small piece of furniture but I have aspirations of painting it white.
Wood conditioner
White IKEA paint
Many thanks for Ahmed for providing wheelchair assistance for the tour of the Recycling team and Circular Hub. I was very grateful.
Thank you for our IKEA gifts
I look forward to the April 2022 session
Ikea Live Lagom Get Growing Session
Ikea Live Lagom Get Growing Session - Tonight's plan slide
How many acres of unused windowsills are there in the UK?
Answer: 600 acres
Can you sell foraged food?
Answer: No!
Growing at home slide
Benefits of home growing
Small space upcycling slide
Useful Apps
Useful Apps
Re-growing from food scraps
How to regrow spring onions
Method
Cut the green top of the spring onion, leaving 3.5 cm of the white root base intact.
Place the section into the shallow jar and submerge half the plant in water.
Leave in a sunny spot and change the water every other day.
Harvest directly from the jar when ready.
How to regrow lettuce
Method
Cut lettuce leaves, making sure to leave 3.5cm of height on the root section.
Place it a bowl with enough water to submerge the root (around 1cm).
Place this in a sunny location and change the water every other day.
After two weeks, when the lettuce sprouts new leaves and roots you should plant it out into putting soil for prolonged growth
Harvest when the leaves grow to baby leaf size (10cm).
How to regrow celery
Harvesting seeds from scraps
How to harvest
What is foraging?
Foraging around the year
Methods of food preservation
Why make compost?
What to compost at home?
Activity no 1 - homemade banana fertiiliser
Activity no 2 - Enclosed ecosphere
Activity no 3 - self watering planter
Activity no 4 - tin can planter
Baby Gem Lettuce in a glass
Baby Gem Lettuce growing well
Me at the IKEA Tottenham Store
Sadly, I had a horrible allergic reaction on my face and could not attend the last session.
I was very upset and disappointed.
On a happier note I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ahmed and Tayab for providing me the opportunity to attend the Ikea Live Lagom Sustainability Program.
Many thanks to Ester, Dawn and Stephanie who also participated in this last cohort at the Tottenham store.
The store will officially close August or September 2022.
I wish Ahmed and Tayab success with their careers at IKEA.
Thank you for reading this blog and I hope you will implement some of the activities in your lives.
Sabeena
My right shoulder is still very painful and inflamed again and I have struggled to type this blog.
Despite my pain I managed to attend a webinar and record videos about PIE Community members expressing an interest to join.
I celebrated World Cancer Day 2024 by creating a poster in Urdu and English.
I participated in a School for Social Entrepreneur webinar with Chris Hines MBE.
Translation in Urdu
Sign up to get the latest on fair trade fashion.
I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
© 2024 The Little Fair Trade Shop. “We love to listen to our customers and for this reason we would be delighted to hear from you if you would like a bespoke fair trade product made especially for you.”
The Little Fair Trade Shop Ltd
Registered in England & Wales
Company Number 08189489
