IKEA committed to make clean indoor air accessible for the many by launching new air purifier
Clean indoor air is crucial for health and wellbeing, and IKEA is committed to enable the many people to purify the air in their homes by developing affordable and high performing solutions. Launching FÖRNUFTIG air purifier is a new step in this journey. It will be launched firstly in China mainland in November 2020, and rolled-out in other IKEA markets starting from February 2021.
“At IKEA, we believe clean indoor air shouldn’t be a luxury for the few, and that’s why one of our main priorities in developing FÖRNUFTIG air purifier was to achieve a low price for both the air purifier and the filters.” says Henrik Telander, Product Owner at IKEA of Sweden. “Today, air purifiers aren’t a viable option for most people, in particular not for those living in small spaces. With this in mind we optimized the air purifier for about 10 square meters, using less material in a smarter way, which enabled us to lower the price.”
Indoor air pollution is a big health issue that can cause heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and cancer. The indoor pollutant that scientists believe may be most harmful to human health is particles (PM). The finest ones pose the most risk since they can enter the bloodstream and damage the heart and other organs, including the brain.*
“There is a general misconception that air pollution mainly happens outdoors, and that our home is a safe haven. IKEA conducted a Clean Air Survey in 2018 and found that people around the world underestimate air pollution in their homes.” says Alexandra Audrey Galef, Sustainability Development Leader IKEA of Sweden. “The ‘Clean Air at Home’ guide by IKEA shares many simple actions that people can take to improve indoor air quality. For example, using an exhaust fan while cooking, cleaning regularly to reduce dust or mould, and using tools that purify the air.”
FÖRNUFTIG air purifier has a pre-filter that removes big particles such as hair and dust, a filter for particle removal that removes smaller airborne particles such as dust and pollen down to PM2.5 (particle size 2.5um) and a filter for gas cleaning that purifies the air from various gaseous pollutants such as VOC’s and formaldehyde, and reduces unpleasant odours such as from smoking and cooking. It is designed to be easy to use, as it’s simply started by turning the dial to the wanted fan speed based on the activity in the home. Depending on the fan speed, it consumes 2.5W-19W.
“Part of what makes FÖRNUFTIG affordable is that we have managed to significantly lower its energy consumption, and hence secured a low running cost for the customer”, says Henrik Telander.
IKEA has for many years reduced air pollution from its own operations and phased out chemicals to avoid any harmful effect to people’s health or the environment throughout the product lifecycle. One example being formaldehyde, where the IKEA limit value is well below the European limit level for individual wood-based materials.
“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,” says Alexandra Galef.
