Peter Jones, IKEA Canada’s latest head of sustainability, plans to crusade against food waste and promote circularity as part of the company’s continuing effort to shrink its environmental footprint.

Over a career spanning more than 20 years in IKEA and a related company named Ikano, Jones was at one point responsible for finance and operations, multichannel key performance indicators (KPIs) and pricing.

He helped develop sustainability metrics that are still used to track the Swedish company's environmental and social impact.

“My job is to make myself redundant over time because sustainability is so integrated,” Jones said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.

As IKEA works toward being a net-zero company by 2050, he sees promoting healthy and sustainable living as an aspiration in his position, which extends beyond the operations and supply chain of the furniture company.

“I’m your guy” for sustainability

A seasoned retail industry professional, Jones started his globetrotting IKEA career in the U.K. as a business performance and strategy manager. He was then stationed in IKEA Canada's headquarters in Burlington, Ont. for almost three years in a similar role before spending over a decade in Sweden in a series of jobs.

From 2018 to 2022, Jones was IKEA’s global head of sustainability for analytics and impact. “They needed somebody to work out how to measure sustainability. And I’m like, ‘I’m your guy.’”

He guided the formation of IKEA’s sustainability strategy, outlined performance metrics, and oversaw the reduction of operational carbon emissions and production food waste.

Central to Jones’ role was the creation of sustainability KPIs. One is its climate footprint, which tracks IKEA’s progress on carbon, energy, water and waste across its operations and supply chain. Having access to the data empowers IKEA employees to take action, he said.

Eating away at food and material waste

After that role, Jones jumped to Ikano Insights, where he consulted companies and led its sustainability data and analytics. After a few years, Jones searched for a role with more impact, which led him back to Canada. Now he heads a team of three that is aiming to instill sustainability in every facet of the company.

Noting how the problem of food waste impacts society and the environment, Jones is placing high importance on getting Canadians to tackle the issue.

IKEA has cut its production food waste by 60 per cent against a 2017 baseline, according to its 2025 sustainability report. Artificial intelligence-powered waste bins made by British firm Winnow are in over 400 IKEA stores to identify sources of food waste and optimize food production systems.

IKEA is also cooking up a strategy for its food offerings. It plans to offer more plant and poultry-based meals in lieu of red meat to bring down its food-related environmental impact. Jones, who is a vegetarian, said he thinks IKEA’s plant balls taste better than its famed Swedish meatballs.

For waste, IKEA’s target is to reduce its operational waste and recycle 100 per cent of the waste generated in its operations by 2030. To this end, it is taking steps such as:

• allowing purchases of second-hand and discounted IKEA products;
• increasing the use of renewable and recycled materials, and materials from more sustainable sources;
• applying circular practices into its procurement; and
• designing its products for circularity, such as having reusable parts.

As of 2025, IKEA recycled 79 per cent of its waste, up from 77.6 per cent the year prior.

More advocacy on the table

Jones said IKEA has been mostly on pace to meet its environmental targets. In the 2025 sustainability report, the company reported being on track to achieve its 2030 carbon emissions target, including a goal to shrink its operational carbon emissions by 85 per cent by 2030.

In Canada, IKEA said it produces more energy than it uses from over 14,000 rooftop solar panels, two wind farms and three geothermal-powered properties (one is in Winnipeg). To fulfill its plan of having 7.5 billion euros invested into utility-scale solar and wind by 2030, IKEA is exploring Canada as a location for more projects, Jones said.

IKEA’s Canadian zero-emission truck delivery rate was at 72 per cent as of August 2025, according to its summary report for the year. IKEA’s goal is to have over 90 per cent of home deliveries made by zero-emissions vehicles by 2028.

IKEA admitted it has room for improvement on its waste and circularity target. It also said it was off track on its plan to help customers use and produce renewable energy at home in all markets by 2025.

Some of the biggest opportunities IKEA has in sustainability can be achieved by deepening engagement with its customers, employees and communities, Jones said.

“We are working to become more climate-friendly, we are working to become more circular,” he said. “But then it’s, 'how do we advocate? How do we empower our co-workers to be able to do more? How do we empower customers to do more?'”