Lego announced that it wanted to look for alternatives by 2030. Later on, it also made work of it: the company invested 150 million dollars in a sustainable research center in the Danish Billund. Lego turns plastic waste into sustainable blocks is a big step forwards to a greener future.
Lego Launched The First Blocks Made From Sugar Cane.
Lego shrubs made from sugarcane.
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60 Billion Lego Blocks Produced Every Year.
"We have already taken important steps to reduce our climate footprint and have a positive impact on the planet, for example, by reducing our packaging, using FSC-labeled packaging, and investing in wind farms," said Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO of the LEGO Group, at that time. "There is no clear definition of what a sustainable material is," he added. 'That depends on various factors: the composition of the material, how it is extracted, and what happens at the end of the life cycle. We will take all these factors into account in our search for new materials. '
This search now yields the first tangible products: leaves, trees, and bushes made of polyethylene, a flexible plastic-based on ethanol from sugar cane. Technically speaking, the toy is identical to conventional plastic, and according to Lego, it takes the same time.
"With the Lego group, we wanted to make a positive impact on the world around us, and we work hard on toys from sustainable materials," says Tim Brooks, Vice President for the Environment.
'We are proud that these first elements from sustainable plastic are now being put into production and will end up in the Lego boxes the common years. It is an important first step in our ambition to make all Lego blocks from sustainable materials.'
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All Lego From Bio Blocks Will Take A Long Time
For this, Lego still has a long way to go: for the time being, the bio elements make up only 1 to 2 percent of the total number of plastic parts that Lego produces.
"It is essential that companies in every industry find ways to make their products with sustainable materials and help create a future where people, the environment, and the economy can thrive," says Alix Grabowski of the WWF.
'The Lego group's decision to look for vegetable plastics was an incredible opportunity to reduce the dependency on finite resources, and their work with the BFA will bring them into contact with other companies that think creatively about sustainability.'
Cover photo by Paleontologist © Lego / Flip images
Before you go!
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