KUNGSBACKA is a pioneer in the IKEA kitchen range. That’s because it’s the first kitchen door which is made from 100% recycled materials. Recycled plastic are the main material behind the tasteful, modern surface of KUNGSBACKA.
Anna Granath, product developer for kitchens at IKEA, explains: “Our products are bought by a lot of people, and by offering more sustainable alternatives, we actually have the opportunity to contribute to a change. So we started looking at how we could replace new materials with recycled materials in our kitchen range,” she says.
IKEA started working with John Löfgren and Jonas Pettersson of design group Form Us With Love, and an Italian supplier. Together, they developed a brand new material. A plastic film made from recycled plastic was created and laminated onto KUNGSBACKA kitchen fronts.
“The main challenge lay in creating a material that meets the same quality requirements as a film made of a brand new material. We’ve worked hard not to compromise on quality or price,” said Marco Bergamo, responsible for development at the Italian supplier company.
The result was a robust kitchen door with a matt black surface and chamfered edges, made from recycled wood and the new-old plastic film. Covering the surface of a 40×80 cm kitchen door requires twenty-five 500 ml bottles.
Product developer Anna Granath is proud of the product: “The whole team behind the kitchen front is proud. We’ve all worked hard to not compromise on anything. Not when it comes to design, quality, functionality, or price, and especially not when it comes to the sustainability aspects. It feels great, deep down in the bottom of our hearts.”
KUNGSBACKA won a Red Dot Award for design in 2018. It is still sold at IKEA in 2021.
