IKEA UAE participates in Earth Hour

IKEA stores at Dubai Festival City and Yas Island will turn off the external lights on its logo during the Earth Hour in the UAE on Saturday March 31 from 8.30pm and 9.30pm to help spread the message that a sustainable development requires more action.

The Earth Hour theme for 2012 is 'I will, if you will'.

Mile Franicevic, Sr General Manager, IKEA - UAE said: "We are very proud to take part in Earth Hour in the UAE. Earth Hour shows that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. I am also extremely happy to note that our customers understand the value of sustainability and environment consciousness."

In its continuous bid to support UAE's move towards a more sustainable environment, IKEA UAE will also begin to phase out all incandescent light bulbs in its stores and targets to completely eliminate them.

Since the beginning, the goals of sustainability and environmental design have been integral to the IKEA business strategy and IKEA is constantly doing what it can to help create a world where it can take better care of the environment, the earth's resources, and each other. This improvement is a never-ending job at IKEA.

"Lighting is a basic necessity and commonly accounts for almost 25 percent of electricity consumption in a typical household. In line with the global IKEA initiatives, IKEA UAE has decided to take ownership of the environment. By encouraging everyone to adopt energy-saving lighting solutions, UAE residents can take pride in creating a home that contributes to a healthier planet, and helps them save money," Mr Franicevic added.

IKEA has proactively embarked on many green initiatives like Say "No" to Plastic Bags, Earth Hour and the solar-energy SUNNAN lamp campaign. IKEA also offers many environmentally friendly products such as the RATIONELL waste system and IKEA 365+ food savers, to encourage UAE residents to live a more sustainable life at home.

As a leading home furnishing retailer IKEA hopes to support UAE residents in making informed choices on energy-efficient lightings thereby helping to speed up the market transition to energy-saving lights.

Did You Know?

• LEDARE low energy LED bulbs are durable and have a very long life. Use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. They are energy efficient and have the longest lifetime of all bulbs (up to 20 years). Technological advancements have improved LEDs to the extent that the light they emit has the same colour as traditional incandescent bulbs.
  
• SPARSAM low energy bulbs use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and will last up to 10 years. Low energy bulbs have a warm tone in the full colour spectrum, which is similar to light from a traditional incandescent bulb. Use these bulbs when you want a diffused light.
  
• HALOGEN bulbs are the closest alternative to traditional incandescent bulbs in colour and tone. Use halogen tracks when you need good light over a large area (wardrobes, kitchens, bookcases). Use halogen reflector bulbs when you need a concentrated beam of light over a limited area (reading, working, highlighting objects). Lifetime of 2.000 hours (approximately 2 years).
  
• You can find all the information you need on getting the right bulb by clicking http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_AE/rooms_ideas/find_the_right_light_bulb/light_bulb.html#lnk-2-1