When Ikea opened its 29,000 sq ft superstore – that’s the equivalent of five and a half football pitches - at the Holywood Exchange on the outskirts of Belfast last year, management’s number one priority was the environment.

Right from the siting and design of the store to its trading practices and personnel policies, the environment was a prime consideration, through its approach to sustainability, energy efficiency, waste management and recycling.

In keeping with the long term direction for all Ikea Group buildings across its worldwide network, the Belfast store uses renewable energy generated through energy sources other than fossil fuel.

Energy-saving light bulbs are also used where possible, lights are on only when warehouses are open, with an energy management system automatically ensuring lights are switched off when they should be. Extra insulation has also been installed to save on energy for heating and cooling.

However, the first challenge facing Ikea at Holywood Exchange was its close proximity to the George Best Belfast City Airport, and an area of land deemed to be of significant natural importance, as Environmental Specialist Nigel McGarry explained: “This can be a very windy site, sitting as it does on the edge of Belfast Lough, so it is important that we keep our waste accummulations down to an absolute minimum.

“We have to deal with around 14,000 kg of food waste every month, and that can be a big attraction to birds which, in turn, can present a potential danger to aircraft landing at Belfast City. There are large flocks of seagulls here, so, to deter them we have to ensure all our food waste in collected before first light every morning; it has to be a smart and smooth operation.”

With a roof area covering many thousands of square feet, it made sense to incorporate a rainwater harvesting system into the design. The water is collected in underground tanks and subsequently used to flush the toilets.
Ikea works closely with suppliers to improve not only working conditions for people who actually make the products the store sells, but also to develop more modern and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and to use transportation in a way that reduces harmful emissions.

“Our furniture has always been transported in flat-packs which means we get more items on trucks, boats or trains, so we make fewer journeys, use less fuel and create fewer emissions.”

Indeed, transport service providers must commit to a code of conduct - the Ikea Way on Distributing Home Furnishing Products - and follow its requirements, such as the use of modern vehicles with cleaner fuels and emissions targets – and all Ikea delivery companies must use “green” vehicles by 2009.

All 520 staff, too, at the Holywood Exchange store are encouraged to be custodians of the Ikea principles on the environment, with management setting the lead; for example, the intention is that by 2010 all Ikea Group company cars will be “green.”

An environmental group has been established at the store, with representatives from each ‘business’ area, thus allowing the effective dissemination of important information relating to waste management, energy efficiency and the environment.

“We have also invested heavily in recycling equipment here, with our recycling target this year set at 90% rising to 95% next year, totalling an estimated 1500 tonnes per year, and by this time next year we want 70% of all our customers to be able to recognise Ikea as a very green and environmentally friendly company,” says Nigel.
Ikea has some 22 different waste streams to deal with, ranging from cardboard, metal and wood to glass, ceramics, electronic equipment and textiles.

Dicom
The compactors and baling equipment were supplied by Dicom Limited, part of the PAAL Group of companies, offering a comprehensive range of compacting and baling equipment, suitable for both recyclable and non-recyclable material.

Dicom also provides an excellent after-sales support throughout the UK and Ireland, including installation and maintenance which clearly was also a prime attraction for Ikea to the brand.
Take their static compactors, for example; they are typically used in heavy duty applications. A static compactor can operate with a variety of containers and where bulky material is a problem, a static can be offered with a very large charge box area and a high compaction force.

Portable compactors, meanwhile, are particularly suitable when space is limited or when the waste product is wet.
The Dicom compactor range can be supplied with open or enclosed loading hoppers and may be fitted with hydraulic tipper systems, chutes or dock loading facility.

Dicom’s extensive range of balers come with a number of different tying options.
The two ram baler range, for example, comprises high capacity, fully automatic closed chamber balers, all of which are capable of dealing with difficult material. The unique plastic tying system substantially reduces operating costs whilst maximising waste handling and transporting options.

Using the Dicom supplied balers, Ikea is able to bale its paper, cardboard and plastics waste into neat, dense bales that are much easier to handle and transport than loose material.

All recycling is looked after by Mallusk based ISL Waste Management; it’s a contract regarded as one of the most ambitious recycling projects in Ireland.

Commented ISL Managing Director, Michael McLarnon:“We’ve always believed in aiming high and are delighted that we won this contract with Ikea.”

Sermet/Tintean
Heating is provided by an Austrian manufacturered 1.2 megawatt biomass boiler, supplied by Sermet, the long established Hillsborough based heating and ventilation equipment distributors.

“We believe this is one of the biggest wood chip fueled boilers installed in Ireland,” says David Ingram from Sermet, who represent Wexford based Tintean Heating Systems in Northern Ireland.

Tintean is headed up by Sean Gilbride, who is heavily involved in the development of the Irish market for biomass heat and power generation:“There is a growing demand for this type of boiler and we are delighted to have won the Ikea contract. It’s a flagship project for us, won against some stiff competition.”

The boiler is manufactured by Austrian Company Gilles who in recent years have developed into one of the most competent suppliers in the supply of wood pellet heating systems, developing their company successfully on the international market, with more than 8000 systems installed throughout Europe.

Meanwhile, Ikea have plans to install a wood cutter, allowing the store to also use its own waste wood. “We had also looked a a wind turbine, but being so close to the City Airport runway, that was ruled out,” explained Nigel McGarry.
The Belfast store also has a methane protection zone underneath the floor providing a ‘clean air blanket’, removing any methane gases from the building.

“We also encourage our staff and customers to leave their cars at home and come to Ikea by public transport, or even by bicycle. For customers considering that, we offer a convenient home-delivery service.”
Not surprisingly, then, when Ikea were planning the new store at Holywood Exchange, the issue of good public transport links was an important consideration, and efforts are being made to ensure better transport connections to and from the store, which, incidentally, recently celebrated its 1,000,000th visitor!