Sofia Martinez
LEGO has been making toys since 1932, when its founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, began crafting wooden playthings. The company began manufacturing its iconic plastic bricks in 1949, and its annual output now stands at 60 billion blocks. However, LEGO is aware of the environmental impact of its plastic bricks and has committed to finding a sustainable alternative by 2030. Hemp bioplastic has been suggested as a possible solution due to its high cellulose content, biodegradability, and ability to be grown locally, reducing the carbon footprint of transport. While LEGO currently uses sugarcane for its plant-based bricks, the company is exploring various eco-friendly options to meet its sustainability goals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current material | Plastic |
| Plastic type | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) |
| Plastic composition | Thermoplastic and amorphous polymer |
| Plastic composition monomers | Acrylonitrile, 1,3-butadiene, and styrene |
| Environmental concerns | Yes |
| Number of bricks produced annually | 19 billion |
| Number of brick colours | 53 |
| Sustainable alternative | Hemp bioplastic |
| Hemp bioplastic advantages | High cellulose count (70-80%), biodegradable, non-toxic, negative carbon footprint, fast-growing, requires less processing, oxygen-producing, pest-resistant |
| Hemp bioplastic disadvantages | None identified |
| Company commitment | To find a sustainable alternative by 2030 |
| Company investment | £1.2 million |
| Current sustainable products | ''Botanical elements'' range made from sugarcane |
| Current progress | Testing bricks using impact-modified poly-lactic acid |
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What You'll Learn
LEGO's sustainability goals
LEGO has set ambitious sustainability goals, aiming to make its bricks with alternative materials to plastic by 2030. The company has been introducing bricks made of plant-based plastics into its sets, such as its Treehouse Set, which contains the highest number of sustainably made bricks of any LEGO set. The company has also launched its ''botanical elements' sustainable bioplastic product range, made from sugarcane.
LEGO is committed to investing $400 million by 2022 to accelerate its sustainability ambitions. The company has set up the LEGO Sustainable Materials Centre, investing £1.2 million and committing DKK 1 billion to research and development to meet its sustainability goals.
One of the biggest challenges for LEGO is finding sustainable materials that meet the necessary requirements of durability, strength, and quality. The company has been testing various plant-based alternatives, including hemp bioplastic, which has a high cellulose content of around 70-80%. Hemp is a versatile plant that grows quickly and prolifically, taking up less land space than traditional crops. It also has a negative carbon footprint, locking in carbon and absorbing more CO2 per hectare than other crops.
While LEGO has not confirmed whether it will use hemp bioplastic, the company is committed to finding sustainable alternatives to its plastic materials by 2030 and is exploring a range of options to achieve its sustainability goals.
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Hemp as a plastic alternative
Hemp bioplastic is a potential alternative to traditional plastic materials. With a high cellulose count of around 70-80%, hemp stalks can be processed to produce nanocellulose, a gel-like plastic product. This makes hemp an ideal base material for manufacturing plastic.
Hemp is also a highly sustainable plant. It grows quickly and prolifically, taking up less land space than traditional crops. It has a negative carbon footprint, locking in carbon and absorbing more CO2 per hectare than other crops. Hemp is also biodegradable and recyclable, degrading in a few months without releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
In 2012, Lego acknowledged the need to find a sustainable alternative to its plastic bricks, which are passed down through generations. The company has since made investments in renewable energy and committed to finding a sustainable alternative by 2030. Lego has introduced plant-based plastics into its sets, with its Treehouse Set containing the highest number of sustainably made bricks. While Lego currently uses sugarcane for its plant-based bricks, hemp could be a viable alternative to plastic, offering a cost-effective and ecologically sustainable option.
Hemp has been used for millennia to make materials such as paper, fibre, industrial materials, and cosmetics. With advancements in science and engineering, hemp cellulose can now be transformed into a sustainable plastic alternative. Hemp-based plastics are already used in straws, bottles, and packaging materials, and companies like HempPlastic have released hemp plastics that meet FDA standards for food, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.
While Lego has not confirmed a switch to hemp plastic, it is clear that hemp could be a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional plastic materials.
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Hemp's environmental benefits
Hemp is a versatile plant with a wide range of environmental benefits. Firstly, hemp is a highly sustainable crop. It grows quickly and prolifically, requiring less land space than traditional crops. Hemp is also naturally resistant to pests and diseases, and it can be grown in a pesticide and herbicide-free environment. This reduces the need for agricultural chemicals, which can be harmful to the environment.
Hemp is an excellent source of biomass fuel, which offers a clean alternative to fossil fuels. It has a high fuel-to-feed ratio and produces virtually no residual sulphur or ash during combustion. This means that hemp-based fuels do not result in any net CO2 being added to the atmosphere, helping to address the issue of global warming and climate change.
Hemp is also a superior alternative to wood in paper production. Hemp paper is stronger and more durable, and it can be produced for a lower cost. The low-lignin content of hemp means less chemical processing is required, and the resulting paper is naturally brighter. Hemp paper is also more recyclable than wood-based paper, further reducing environmental impact.
Additionally, hemp can be used to create bio-based plastics and construction materials. Hemp-based plastics are biodegradable and non-toxic, making them a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics. Hemp can also be used to create bio-concrete, which has excellent mould resistance and good insulation properties.
Overall, hemp offers a wide range of environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration, reduced deforestation, and the production of sustainable and recyclable materials. These benefits make hemp a promising choice for companies like Lego, which are seeking to reduce their environmental impact and move towards more sustainable practices.
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LEGO's plastic history
Lego has been a household name for generations, with its plastic bricks forming the literal building blocks of children's toys. However, the company's journey to plastic was not without its challenges.
Lego was founded in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, who began making wooden toys in 1932. The company was named Lego, derived from the Danish phrase "leg godt", meaning "play well". By the end of World War II, it became increasingly difficult to source beechwood of the right quality, but advancements in plastic technology presented new opportunities. In 1946, Ole Kirk attended a demonstration of an injection-molding machine and placed an order for one. The molding tools and raw materials were challenging to come by, and the company had to experiment extensively to gain experience with the molding process.
In 1947, Lego expanded into producing plastic toys, including an early version of the now-famous interlocking bricks, called "Automatic Binding Bricks". These bricks were based on the "Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks", invented by Hilary Page and patented in the United Kingdom in 1940. The Lego bricks were originally manufactured from cellulose acetate, a development of the traditional stackable wooden blocks. In 1949, the first plastic bricks were marketed, and by 1951, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output.
In the 1950s, Lego began expanding into foreign markets, starting with Norway in 1953, where they signed a licensing agreement with a local plastics manufacturer. Despite initial setbacks, with customers preferring wooden or metal toys, Lego persisted, and in 1955, they released the "Town Plan" using plastic Lego building bricks. In 1963, Lego replaced cellulose acetate with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic), which is still in use today. ABS is non-toxic, more resistant to warping, discoloration, and chemicals, and less prone to heat damage.
Despite the success of plastic Lego bricks, the company has faced environmental concerns due to the use of oil-based plastic. In recent years, Lego has committed to sustainability, investing millions to replace the 60 billion blocks it manufactures annually with a renewable alternative by 2030. They have introduced bricks made of plant-based plastics, with their Treehouse Set containing the highest number of sustainably made bricks. While currently using sugarcane, hemp bioplastic is being considered as a potential alternative due to its high cellulose content and environmentally friendly properties. Lego's exploration of sustainable materials reflects their commitment to reducing their ecological footprint and finding a balance between product quality and environmental impact.
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Hemp-based LEGO prototypes
LEGO has been making toys since 1932, when the company founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, began crafting wooden toys. The company started manufacturing its iconic plastic interlocking blocks in 1949, and the annual manufacturing figure currently stands at 60 billion blocks. However, LEGO is aware of its environmental impact, with over 60 billion plastic pieces inevitably ending up in landfills and damaging marine ecosystems. In 2015, the company established the LEGO Sustainable Materials Centre and invested £1.20 million to meet its 2030 ambition of finding and implementing sustainable alternatives to its products and packaging.
LEGO has been slowly introducing bricks made of plant-based plastics, such as sugarcane, into its sets. Hemp, a highly sustainable plant, could be another ideal base material for the manufacture of plastic due to its high cellulose content, which can be converted into a gel-like plastic product. Hemp is also a fast-growing crop that requires less land, reducing the carbon footprint of transport. Additionally, hemp plays a significant role in carbon farming, locking in carbon and absorbing more CO2 per hectare than other crops.
While LEGO has not confirmed the use of hemp plastic, the company is committed to finding a sustainable alternative to its current plastic bricks by 2030. Allan Rasmussen, Project Manager at LEGO, expressed the need to find a material that is durable and long-lasting, as LEGO toys are often passed down through generations. Hemp plastic, with its biodegradability, recyclability, and non-toxic nature, could be a viable solution to meet LEGO's strict requirements while also addressing the global plastic crisis.
Although there is no confirmation from LEGO about using hemp plastic, the company's sustainability goals and the advantages of hemp as a raw material suggest that it could be a potential option. The development of biodegradable hemp technologies by companies like Zeoform further supports the possibility of hemp-based LEGO prototypes in the future.
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Frequently asked questions
Lego has not confirmed that it will be changing to hemp plastic. However, the company has stated that it is looking for a sustainable alternative to its current plastic bricks by 2030 and hemp bioplastic could be a viable solution.
Lego has been facing environmental concerns due to its use of oil-based plastic material known as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The over 60 billion plastic Lego pieces produced will inevitably end up in landfills, polluting waterways, and damaging marine ecosystems.
Hemp bioplastic is non-toxic, biodegradable, and can produce a range of commercial and industrial-grade materials. It has a high cellulose content (around 70-80%) and can be heated and pressurised to produce nanocellulose, a gel-like plastic product. Hemp also has a negative carbon footprint, absorbing more CO2 per hectare than other crops.
Lego has slowly introduced bricks made of plant-based plastics into its sets, with its Treehouse Set containing the highest number of sustainably made bricks. The company has also launched a 'botanical elements' sustainable bioplastic product range made from sugarcane.
