Who'd have thought that we'd ever be positively placing IKEA and planet protector in the same sentence, and yet here we are. Ikea's emergence in recent years as one of the more genuine global brands for the planet has been systematic, steady and relentless. And they just keep on coming.The thing about Ikea is that they have the means - both in terms of global reach and also in terms of their business model and mindset to do whatever they want. They have the capacity to push as much mindless crap into our homes as they like, and yet they persist with the idea that mindful makes a better home and cheap price does not have to equal cheap make. And increasingly their products are designed to last and are made from waste.I am guessing that a fair chunk of their strategy is driven by the fact that their market is largely millennials, but whatever you think of the brand and its cheap consumption based, flip furniture model, it's important to acknowledge that the business has choices.And IKEA is not only moving with the world in small space design, publishing open source plans, collaborating with well known and up and coming designers, like Piet Hein Eek for the chairs above, but they have also both committed to and are achieving a number of planetary protection measures - in both the space they play and its related areas. If this sounds like a promo for IKEA, you are probably right, but you judge if they are worth it.This is Akanksha, a designer from IKEA in Delhi, where IKEA are about to open their first Indian store. Her comments firstly about millennials and then IKEA pretty much sum up the target market and IKEA's philosophy. “We don’t dream about a buying a house or a car like our parents did. We are treating the whole world as our home and exploring places outside our comfort zone."“For IKEA, I am looking at beautiful sustainable material that could be interesting for the customers. Natural fibers like sea grass, bamboo, willow, water hyacinth and banana fibers. We have been looking at the supplier’s capacities and we are revitalizing the use of natural fibers at IKEA.”In the same, but completely different context, IKEA's focus on small space living for the future has sent designers to live in the Mars Desert Research station and to capsule hotels in Tokyo. This has led to furnishings based around time, small space, water and air.With these concepts in mind, it's easy to see how designers get to developing lightweight, functional, flexible furniture and why air purifiers with functional textiles are going to be made affordable for every day people.For information on IKEAS 2020 Recycling Commitment and their People & Planet initiatives.Footnote: ekko.world promote good things, but ≠ paid promotion. IKEA is a listed Recycler on ekko.world Images: Ikea, including collaboration with Eek - chairs made from pine wood that would have otherwise been considered waste. | Akanksha with some of her designs. | Air purifiers from new collection RUMTID for 2020 launch.