The partnership started when IKEA Croatia made their first visit to Humana Nova, a social enterprise, with the aim of finding a solution for their textile waste. The visit eventually led to a partnership to cooperate in textile waste upcycling. The partnership is driven by the CSR strategy of the company, as well as its obligation to fulfil the employment quotas for individuals with disabilities in Croatia. The legal framework underlying this quota encourages IKEA to partner with social enterprises.
Humana Nova has placed five textile waste collection points at IKEA Croatia’s premises. The textile waste collected is sent to Humana Nova for the production of upcycled products and the recycling of felt. Through the partnership, IKEA purchases Humana Nova’s newly created products from reused and ecological materials. The company also hires Humana Nova to conduct educational lectures and creative workshops on textile waste to increase the social awareness.
From 2020 to 2023, 159 tonnes of textiles have been collected from the five containers that Humana Nova has placed at IKEA Croatia’s premises as well as IKEA exhibition stalls. The amount collected continues to increase annually. Humana Nova uses a portion of these textiles to produce upcycled products, while the remainder is recycled into felt. The partnership directly provides employment opportunities for 7 to 9 employees at Humana Nova, and indirectly creates additional jobs in other areas.
“With this collaboration, we gained a significant new reference for our work. Beyond managing IKEA’s textile waste, Humana Nova also benefited from new orders for textile products such as bags and t-shirts, and expanded its textile workshops. This is highly important because it gives us recognition and a testimonial which we use in forging new partnerships with corporations.”
— Humana Nova representative
©Photo by Humana Nova
