On April 16, 2024, IKEA Canada made history by hosting the first-ever One Home, One Planet (OHOP) Canada event. This action-oriented gathering, held at the 1 Hotel in Toronto, brought together a diverse group of over 100 stakeholders, including businesses, government agencies, community groups, social enterprises, educational institutions, and consumers. The common goal? To tackle the pressing question of how to make circularity – the practice of reusing, repairing, and recycling – more relevant, accessible, and affordable for the average Canadian.
The event unfolded in four key stages:
1.
Panel Discussion:
Experts from various fields shared insights into the current state of circular solutions in Canada, highlighting the challenges and opportunities.2.
Fast 5 Presentations:
Sustainability leaders from diverse sectors presented real-world examples of circular solutions in action, showcasing the diverse range of possibilities.3.
Collaborative Breakout Sessions:
Participants engaged in group discussions, sharing their own experiences with circularity within their respective sectors and communities, identifying areas for growth and improvement.4.
Sharing Session:
The day culminated with a session dedicated to reporting the findings and building a shared national framework. This framework, essentially a roadmap, was designed to guide Canadians towards more circular living in their homes and communities.Selwyn Crittendon, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Canada, emphasized the event’s significance: “One Home, One Planet is about bringing together like-minded individuals and groups to connect disparate circular solutions.” He added, “We are the experts, leaders, and influencers. Let’s bring our solutions to the table and say in one voice ‘Yes Canada, we have a plan to make circularity easy, accessible, and affordable for you!’ Canadians deserve to live better and as circular leaders, we owe them a plan to help them live that life.”
The event’s collaborative spirit led to a shared national framework that outlines key steps to promoting circularity in Canada. Here are some highlights:
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Education and Socialization:
Canadians need to be educated about local reuse and repair options and understand the benefits of circular living.*
Accessibility and Affordability:
Circular solutions must be easily accessible, convenient, and affordable for everyone, regardless of location.*
Economic Value:
Circularity is not just about environmental benefits; it also offers economic opportunities, with recycling, reuse, and repair creating jobs and contributing to affordability.*
Local Action, Global Impact:
While circularity is a global issue, it can be tackled at the local level through coordinated efforts between organizations and community groups.*
Product Design for Circularity:
Products should be designed with reassembly, disassembly, and repair in mind from the outset, promoting a circular lifecycle.*
Innovation and Shared Ownership:
Encouraging a culture of circular innovation will drive new technologies, systems, and practices, as well as foster a shared responsibility for promoting circular solutions.The One Home, One Planet Canada event, while hosted by IKEA, aimed to ignite collective action. The resulting Circular Roadmap is not just a discussion document or a simple summary of the event. It represents a starting point, a first step towards developing practical and accessible solutions that make reuse and repair easier for Canadian households.
To learn more about the One Home, One Planet initiative and access a recap of the event, visit IKEA.ca/reports.
