IWAY, or the IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furnishing Products, is IKEA’s code of conduct and supplier requirements. It outlines the company’s expectations for ethical and sustainable business practices from its suppliers, including social and environmental standards, as well as requirements related to quality and safety.
IWAY covers a wide range of issues, including:
- Labor standards: IKEA requires its suppliers to comply with all applicable labor laws and regulations, including those related to minimum wage, working hours, and freedom of association. The company also requires suppliers to provide safe and healthy working conditions for their employees.
- Environmental standards: IKEA expects its suppliers to minimize the environmental impact of their operations and products, by implementing sustainable practices such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing of materials.
- Child labor and forced labor: IKEA has a zero-tolerance policy on child labor and forced labor, and requires suppliers to take measures to prevent these practices from occurring in their operations or supply chains.
- Chemicals management: IKEA requires its suppliers to comply with all applicable regulations related to chemicals management, and to minimize the use of hazardous chemicals in their products and operations.
- Animal welfare: IKEA expects its suppliers to comply with all applicable animal welfare regulations, and to avoid using animal products in their products and operations wherever possible.
To ensure compliance with IWAY, IKEA conducts regular audits of its suppliers, and provides training and capacity-building programs to help suppliers improve their social and environmental performance. Suppliers who fail to comply with IWAY may be subject to corrective action plans, and in some cases, termination of the business relationship.
IWAY is an important part of IKEA’s commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices, and the company regularly updates and revises the code of conduct to reflect new challenges and opportunities in the industry.
