IKEA Live LAGOM Programme - our first step!
The IKEA Live LAGOM Programme runs every year, and we were lucky enough to be invited to participate in the 2021/2022 programme.
Live LAGOM explores how the power of community, with support, can inspire people to live more sustainably. The project was created by IKEA, in partnership with Hubbub, an environmental charity which creates campaigns encouraging people to make healthier, greener lifestyle choices. The project’s research partner is the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environmental Strategy. Following three years of experimentation, Live LAGOM has now become part of everyday business at IKEA and we are involved in the seventh year it has run.
What is Live LAGOM?
LAGOM is a simple Swedish philosophy for everyday living. The full phrase "Lagom är bast" means "just the right amount is best." Enough is as good as a feast. So not denying yourself the things you love, but not taking more than you need.
Each year IKEA invites customers to apply to be part of the Live LAGOM project. As you may know, we live 'above the shop', so our business and our home are in the same building. This means whatever we do in our shop to improve our environmental footprint will automatically impact our home, and vice versa. For this and many other reasons: we were keen to be involved.
Our nearest shop is Croydon, and Andy attended the Live LAGOM Induction there this week. The participants shared what they wanted to get out of the programme, from reducing their energy bills to wasting less food. Andy was amazed to hear that, on average, previous participants reduced their food bills by more than £1,000 a year.
What impact has the Live LAGOM Project had so far?
As well as reducing their food bills, ‘Lagomers’ who have taken part in the project so far say they have saved hundreds of pounds on all their bills, and feel happier and more in control of their lives. The actions many of them have taken include switching to LED lights, reducing their tumble drying, washing their clothes at lower temperatures, cutting their food waste and learning new skills like upcycling, sewing, growing their food and fermenting.
The idea is that we share what we learn with our friends and family to spread these ways of sustainable living to create a ripple effect across the world.
Our Top Tip 1: Warming a Cold Kitchen Floor
Around 40% of houses in the UK were built prior to 1946, before central heating was a thing. Our house and shop building is over 100 years old and our kitchen, whilst beautifully large, can be very chilly in the depths of winter. We have laminate flooring so we can easily clean food and drink spillages, but that means cold floors. We had never considered a rug because we would spend our lives getting it cleaned. A rug can give you a little more insulation but, most importantly for us, it is warmer underfoot than laminate flooring without needing to turn on the heating.
At the induction, Andy learned about the Ikea ranges which are sustainable. All such products in an Ikea shop are marked with a green circle so you know they are sustainably and responsibly sourced and manufactured.
Andy found a large rug along with underlay in this range, and brought them home. The Tiphede is made from recycled cotton and Stopp Filt is an underlay made from 100% recycled polyester. The underlay stops the rug moving around, plus it adds another layer of insulation. And our age old problem of getting the rug cleaned won't be a problem: because it's washable. Hooray!
And Nero the shop cat approves. Which is essential. Obviously :)
There will be 6 further workshops over the next few months running through until June 2022, to explore different ways to live more sustainably.
How Can I Get Involved in the Ikea Live LAGOM Project?
You don't have to participate directly in the programme to get involved. IKEA’s Live Lagom page on Facebook is open to everyone, with tips and advice on how you can make changes to improve your home's carbon footprint and live more sustainably. You can also read all about the programme and the changes previous participants have made.
We will continue to pass on what we learn on the programme and are delighted to be part of it.
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