Cotton Conversation with IKEA

Last night I attended an intimate event with IKEA Australia, where they hosted their Cotten Conversation Dinner, at a warehouse studio in Alexandria, Sydney.

The night started with mingling, canapes, and champagne before the IKEA team revealed our dining room for the evening. Two long tables were decorated with a floral and cotton centerpiece, and once I found my seat, IKEA's sustainability manager for Asia Pacific, Derya Völlings, and Sustainability Manager for Australia, Dr. Kate Ringwall addressed the room.

The night was a chance for IKEA to present some of the practices that the company has committed to, in order to use only renewable and recycled materials by 2030 — working towards a sustainable cotton industry is just one of those commitments.

For me, it was a chance to listen and learn. For example, I learned that Australia is, in fact, the second largest consumer of textiles in the world when it comes to familiar products in the home; including towels, bed linen, sofa covers, and soft furnishings. 

The event really inspired me to work on being a more informed consumer, and I look forward to seeing more brands make these same sustainability commitments, hopefully in the not too distant future.