Sustainable or Not: IKEA (the big blue box)

Now, I love the idea of affordable household goods, tools, dishware, furniture and plants all in one big store.  I especially like to hear when big stores are selling items that are made from sustainable resources.  But, you have to dig a little deeper than the tags on that couch to find out if it's really a sustainable purchase.  Or maybe not, as in the case of the IKEA item of the month below. First off, if you've already got a couch, cups, plates, rugs, sheets, frames, etc. in your home, you probably don't need to go to Ikea.  That is the first step is acting sustainably when it comes to shopping. Second, if you do need something, you probably don't need to buy the plastic candle holders and the cute scented candles that smell like fake gardenias.  This step requires the most strict determination to avoid putting unnecessary items into your cart.  This is probably the wisest of steps. Third, if you just want to see what Ikea has, because you're thinking of putting bamboo floors in your house, due to the fact that your current floors have either 1: completely disappeared beneath your feet, 2: have a complete termite infestation, or 3: the carpet has completely gone bald and you are mad that you still call it a shag rug from when it was first put in, in 1969.  Then, don't bring your wallet.  See above. The problem with IKEA, is that they sell a lot of items you would need when first starting up your home collection.  Necessary and well priced stuff, that can be sustainable (see glass food containers and low-wattage lamps).  But it also has a ton of stuff you don't need.  Let's face it.  You don't need a large stuffed snake made of plastic or a paper box to hide your overgrowth of office junk.  Just recycle it already. Want to see some specific examples of what you don't need?  Take the following items for example:

These, are plants.  Plastic plants.  Sure, they don't need water, but they are also made entirely of petroleum and probably led to chemical pollution where they were made, where they will hang for a few years and where they will be thrown away.  Pretty much defeats the purpose.  It's almost like the ironic opposite of an oxygen producing and air purifying, real live plant.

And get this:

Buy their plastic plants, and everything else you didn't need, and you can make up for part of the pollution by donating money to plant a tree.  More irony please? Ikea, I love your low watt bulbs and your glass jars, but I can't forgive your plastic plants and other plastic crappola. Avoiding unnecessary plastic stuff, G&G