Criticism of IKEA

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Global furniture retailer IKEA has faced criticism over several issues, including how it sources wood, the size of its stores, the effect on local communities, legal problems, and business practices.

Key areas of criticism

- Wood and forests
- The company has been accused of illegal logging and of greenwashing by groups like Corporate Europe Observatory and Greenpeace.
- 2020: Earthsight said IKEA sold furniture made from wood illegally felled in the Ukrainian Carpathians, even though the wood was FSC-certified.
- 2021: Earthsight alleged illegally logged wood from protected Russian forests linked to a businessman’s forests; IKEA said the wood was legally harvested and temporarily stopped certain Russian wood.
- 2017: Reports that a supplier in Romania cut down very old trees to make particle board used in IKEA products.
- 2022: A report claimed IKEA’s investment arm cleared large areas of protected Romanian forest, with Romania supplying a notable share of IKEA wood.
- 2014: Documents suggested a scheme to fund Romania’s Securitate through overcharged lumber, which IKEA denied involvement in.
- About 7% of IKEA’s wood comes from Belarus, a country whose forests are state-owned; critics say money could support the Lukashenko regime.

- Product safety and recalls
- 2015–2016: The Malm line of chests and dressers was linked to several deaths when furniture tipped over. IKEA issued recalls and free wall-anchoring kits; lawsuits were settled for over $50 million.

- Spying and privacy
- 2012: IKEA France was accused of spying on employees and job applicants by illegally accessing police records.
- 2021: IKEA France was found guilty and fined for spying activities.

- Community impact and store policies
- Critics say new large IKEA stores can harm local businesses and communities.
- Some past controversies involved delays or disagreements over pricing and store strategies in different countries.

- Historical and political associations
- 1994: Reports suggested IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad had past ties to pro-Nazi groups; he later expressed regret for those associations.

- Market practices
- 2007: Reports of higher prices in Canada compared with the U.S. for the same items.
- 2013: Horse meat found in some meatballs sold in Europe led to a large product withdrawal; IKEA changed suppliers and cut back on some purchasing.

- Meat and supplier issues
- 2013: IKEA pulled 17,000 portions of meatballs after horse meat was found in a Czech test; the company reviewed its supplier network.

In short, IKEA has faced ongoing questions about ethics in sourcing, safety recalls, privacy and spying, community impact, and political and market involvement. The company has often responded with investigations, recalls, policy changes, and public statements to address these criticisms.