We have guests…

Hi, my name is Monika Bzowy and I’m an Environment Specialist at IKEA Coventry, where I have been working for nearly two years.

I enjoy my job and the challenges it brings being an eco co-ordinator in a big store! My biggest achievement so far has been helping the store reach it’s target of over 90% waste recycling and energy recovery..

Recently I have been working on the Textiles for Schools Project. I find that many schools struggle to get resources for their projects and therefore have to limit the scale of the assignments. When I speak to the teachers, they always say it is a real shame when they have very artistic pupils but have to limit their creativity, as they have no money for the materials.

We are able to help them out with ex-display textiles from IKEA. There are all sorts of fabrics that can be useful including end of sale sofa covers, curtains and loose fabrics from the textiles department. Students use them for creating new products like textile recycling bags or to design clothes.

Money saving tip

Why not have fun with your kids by using old materials you find around the house? You can design a cool personalised bag, so next time you go shopping you don’t use disposable plastic bags in the supermarket. This not only saves you money as you don’t have to pay for a big plastic bag, but also the environment!

A bag designed by pupils in one of the Coventry schools.