Ikea plans to stop selling incandescent light bulbs in its North American stores by Jan. 1, ahead of a federal phaseout.
(Matt Rourke/ Associated Press)
Ikea to stop selling old-style bulbs
Ikea plans to stop selling incandescent light bulbs in its North American stores by Jan. 1, ahead of a federal phaseout.
(Matt Rourke/ Associated Press)
PHILADELPHIA — Swedish home furnishings purveyor Ikea plans to start replacing its stock of incandescent light bulbs in its North American stores in favor of longer-lasting and energy-efficient ones.
The company said yesterday that it hopes to have all incandescent bulbs out of its US and Canadian stores by Jan. 1, and only sell other, longer-lasting bulbs. That’s ahead of federal legislation that calls for a phaseout beginning in 2012.
“As we sell out the incandescents that we have in stock, we will restock with low energy’’ bulbs, said Mona Astra Liss, a spokeswoman for Ikea’s US corporate headquarters.
Ikea said customers will have more efficient options including compact fluorescent bulbs, LED, and halogen lamps. Liss declined to say what percentage of the company’s lighting stock was now made up of low-energy bulbs, or provide sales figures.
Compact fluorescent, or CFL, bulbs use up to 80 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Ikea has more than 300 stores in 37 countries, including 37 in the United States.
The pullout applies to the 48 stores in Canada and the United States. Ikea stores in France and Australia have already started phasing out the incandescent bulbs.
Since 2001, Ikea also has offered ways to recycle the CFL bulbs, which contain mercury.
The company’s voluntary phaseout is one of its environmental initiatives aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, Liss said.
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