If we can notice a pattern in 2019, it’s that Egypt is becoming more and more environmentally conscious. From cutting down single-use plastic consumption to introducing more eco-friendly products, our country is definitely taking huge steps forward. Not only that, but corporations are joining the green wave and adopting sustainable strategies. The latest is IKEA Egypt’s Lets Play campaign, which recently initiated a sustainability-themed campaign to involve the younger generation in the cause.

Let’s Play is a campaign that targets communicating with children and parents, which has been running over the past three years. This year, Let’s play launched a competition among Egyptian students that ran from the 17th of November to the 4th of December. To raise the kids’ awareness about sustainability and the conservation of the environment, the competition asked participants to produce the most creative projects assembled from recyclable items. The 3-week programme took place at Ethos International School and involved over 600 kids from different age groups.

Students proudly showcased their creative projects in an exhibition that was attended by Taimour Othman, founder of #ThisisEgypt. Othman also conducted a workshop for the school kids based on the importance of keeping our environment healthy and clean.

The Swedish home furnishing chain has been adopting the sustainability strategy since 2012.

“Many of our products are also made from sustainable materials. And it is crucial to educate future generations on the importance of preserving the environment, as well as clarify their role in a way that would make them want to participate in the process”, said Doaa Hashim, the IKEA Family Manager.

“We aim to educate our children around the fact that there are diverse methods of playing, rather than being imprisoned in technology. It is also important to highlight to children that, in order to have a good space to play, we need to help improve our environment through recycling”, Hashim added.

IKEA seeks to use only renewable, recycled materials by the year 2030 as part of its master plan towards achieving a sustainable future. The Let’s Play campaign, among other efforts by the furnishing brand, are stepping stones towards IKEA’s long-term goal.