At IKEA, we do not merely focus on achieving corporate goals of environmental protection and sustainable development; we also value every employee’s participation in our sustainability campaigns. We organized beach cleanups and tree-planting activities in the past, and we hope our employees will immerse themselves in nature and contribute to society and the environment. Due to the pandemic in 2022, we decided to do something different by launching an internal competition for employees known as “HSL, I know best!” We invited employees to film videos about using IKEA’s sustainable products at home. HSL (Healthy & Sustainable Living) refers to products created by IKEA for its customers to support a healthy and green lifestyle.
“HSL, I know best!” “HSL, I know best!” IKEA’s Internal Employee Activity
IKEA’s HSL products are sold at affordable prices, making it easy for consumers to live a green lifestyle. Participating employees submitted videos that showed consumers how to use HSL products and adopt sustainable habits at home. For example, Terry, an IKEA employee, filmed himself buying ingredients for dinner with a 365+ food container at the supermarket after work. He also switched to the energy-efficient SOLHETTA LED bulb at home and utilized the PRESSA hanging dryer to cut down on using a tumble dryer. By presenting various eco-friendly habits, he became a role model for his colleagues who wished to follow in his footsteps.
The competition was met with great enthusiasm among employees from IKEA’s North Asia region (Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Macau markets). They also left words of encouragement for each other, such as “Thanks to IKEA, we can learn to care for our environment by changing our lifestyle habits,” “The product presentation was very well done,” “Combining IKEA products with themes like environmental protection and energy conservation is very creative,” “Plastic-free living is the new black. Love it! We just have to start adopting this lifestyle and work hard to maintain it,” “There are many tips in the videos. They have helped me and my friends a lot.”
Becoming Role Models for Sustainable Living
The “HSL, I know best!” internal competition highlighted the benefits of IKEA’s products to society through the employees’ personal experiences. Through this activity, the employees could align themselves with IKEA’s vision. In addition, IKEA’s employees feel inspired to continue implementing these green habits in their workplace and everyday lives. Plus, their experiences allowed them to understand the features of IKEA’s sustainable products thoroughly. As such, the employees can even play an active role in sustainable living by promoting green lifestyle habits to consumers.
