As the world grapples with growing water scarcity and pollution, IKEA has stepped forward with a new innovation that could reshape how households manage water use. The global home furnishing giant has officially launched the BERGVATTNET collection, a smart, affordable, and accessible range of products designed to make water-efficient living at home easier than ever before.
The announcement, made during World Water Week 2025 in Stockholm, underscores IKEA’s dedication to sustainability and its mission to help millions of people live healthier, more resource-conscious lives.
Water shortages are no longer distant problems they are pressing global realities. According to the United Nations, nearly 2.4 billion people face water stress, while pollution continues to degrade freshwater ecosystems that are vital for biodiversity, agriculture, and human survival.
For households, daily activities like showering, cooking, and cleaning contribute to significant water consumption. In many countries, a hot shower is the single biggest use of domestic water, often wasting litres while waiting for the temperature to adjust. IKEA recognised that while people are becoming more aware of their water footprint, they often lack simple solutions that can fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles.
Inside the BERGVATTNET Collection:
The collection focuses on practical, innovative tools that make saving water not just possible but effortless. Key highlights include:
1. The Digital Shower Meter
A smart device that connects to most shower mixers, this meter tracks:
- Water temperature
- Total consumption
- Duration of use
The data gives households real-time insights into how much water they use during showers empowering them to adjust habits. Installation is straightforward, making it suitable for both new bathrooms and retrofits.
2. The Auto Diverter & Functional Bucket
This is perhaps the most striking innovation in the range. The auto diverter redirects cold water that usually runs down the drain while waiting for a shower to warm up. Instead, it channels the water into a specially designed bucket. Once the water reaches 32°C, the system automatically switches to the shower head.
The bucket, designed to be practical and playful, allows families to reuse water for:
- Watering plants
- Cleaning floors
- Flushing toilets
Tobias Svanberg, Innovation Developer at IKEA of Sweden AB, shared the inspiration.
“The idea of the auto diverter started from my own discomfort of wasting water when waiting for my shower to warm up.
Early in the development process, we found that every customer we spoke to recognised this feeling and wanted a solution,” he said.
This feature builds on real practices already observed in countries like Spain and Portugal, where households commonly use buckets to collect shower water. IKEA’s version modernises this behaviour into a mainstream lifestyle solution.
The BERGVATTNET launch is not just about selling products it reflects IKEA’s holistic approach to water stewardship.
At World Water Week 2025, Inter IKEA Group also announced its role as a Business Supporter of the Freshwater Challenge (FWC), the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem restoration initiative.
The challenge aims to restore:
- 300,000 kilometres of degraded rivers
- 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030.
Global Head of Strategic Sustainability Topics at Inter IKEA Group, Joana Barata Correia highlighted the urgency.
“Freshwater ecosystems are critical for biodiversity, clean water supply, and climate resilience.
By joining the Freshwater Challenge, we will strengthen projects with partners like WWF to improve biodiversity, water quality, and resilience in key river basins,” she said.
This move aligns with IKEA’s long-standing efforts to inspire widespread action through collaboration.
The BERGVATTNET collection also ties in with IKEA’s participation in the 50L Home Coalition, a global partnership of businesses and organisations working to reduce daily water use to just 50 litres per person without compromising comfort or convenience.
In a recent pilot project in Los Angeles, the coalition introduced innovative home solutions that cut indoor water use by over 20% in just one year. Such outcomes demonstrate how new technologies, combined with simple behavioural shifts, can deliver measurable results.
For IKEA, initiatives like these reinforce the company’s ambition to make sustainable living mainstream.
One of IKEA’s greatest strengths lies in making innovative ideas affordable and easy to integrate. Sustainability often comes with the perception of being expensive or complicated. BERGVATTNET challenges that notion.
By focusing on universal problems like water waste in showers and designing plug-and-play solutions, IKEA ensures that more households, regardless of geography or income, can take part in meaningful environmental action.
Take the next step towards sustainable living. Explore the BERGVATTNET collection online or at your nearest IKEA store starting August 2025, and discover how small changes at home can save water, reduce waste, and make a big difference for the planet.Customers can expect the same quality and affordability IKEA is known for, with added benefits that support health and wellbeing.
With water scarcity becoming one of the most pressing issues of our time, products like BERGVATTNET are not just home accessories, they represent small steps towards a global shift in how we value and manage water.
Shahriena Shukri is a journalist covering business and economic news in Malaysia, providing insights on market trends, corporate developments, and financial policies. More about Shahriena Shukri.
