Sofia Martinez
The plastic used in Lego bricks, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), is a major contributor to plastic pollution. This is due to the fact that ABS does not biodegrade and is not easily recycled. As a result, Lego has been testing alternative materials, including recycled plastic, to reduce its environmental impact. However, Lego recently abandoned a project to make bricks from recycled plastic bottles, citing higher carbon emissions over the product's lifetime as the reason for the decision. Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable solutions, with plans to remove single-use plastic from its packaging and increase the use of plant-based and recycled materials.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic usage | Lego uses acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which requires 2kg of petroleum to make 1kg of plastic. In 2021, they began researching a transition to recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from ABS. |
| Attempt to use recycled plastic | Lego has stopped a project to make bricks from recycled drink bottles, citing higher carbon emissions and challenges with colour and scalability. |
| Current initiatives | Lego uses bio-polypropylene, a sustainable variant of polyethylene, for some parts. They have also transitioned to plant-based bricks, with botanical elements made from third-party certified, sustainably sourced sugarcane. |
| Packaging | Lego is introducing recyclable packaging and replacing single-use plastic bags with paper-based bags made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper. |
| Donations | Lego has donated 1.2 million lbs of Lego bricks, impacting over 300,000 children in the US through the nonprofit First Book. |
| Factory plans | Lego will invest over $1 billion in its first US factory, which will be carbon-neutral and use renewable energy, employing over 1,700 people. |
| Spending | In 2023, Lego increased spending on environmental initiatives by 60% compared to 2022 and plans to double this spend by 2025. |
| Partnership | Lego has partnered with WWF and joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance to support sustainably sourced plastic and secure sustainable sourcing of raw materials for bioplastics. |
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What You'll Learn
Lego's transition to recycled plastic bricks has failed
Lego's transition to recycled plastic bricks has not been successful. In September 2023, the company announced that it had "decided not to progress" with making its colourful bricks from recycled plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Lego spent over two years testing the material but ultimately found that it did not reduce carbon emissions. The company also encountered challenges with the colour and scalability of the recycled plastic.
Lego's decision to abandon this project is a setback for its sustainability goals. The company has invested significantly in sustainability initiatives, aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 37% by 2032. However, the transition to recycled plastic has proven more difficult than expected. Lego's bricks are currently made primarily from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which requires 2kg of petroleum to produce 1kg of plastic and does not easily biodegrade or recycle.
Despite the failure of the recycled plastic initiative, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable alternatives. The company has partnered with WWF and joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) to support the demand for sustainably sourced plastic. Lego has also started using bio-polypropylene, a sustainable and biological variant of polyethylene, for some parts in its sets. Additionally, Lego is transitioning to recyclable packaging and has invested in a carbon-neutral factory in the United States, which will use renewable energy and shorten supply chains.
While Lego's transition to recycled plastic bricks has not succeeded, the company is taking steps towards sustainability in other areas. The failure of the recycled plastic initiative highlights the challenges of transitioning away from fossil fuels and reducing plastic pollution. Lego's experience demonstrates the need for collaboration and innovation to achieve a greener future.
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Lego's commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions
Lego has been working towards sustainability and reducing carbon emissions by investing in sustainability initiatives, aiming to transition to more sustainable materials, and setting an ambitious deadline for carbon neutrality. In recent years, the company has encountered challenges in its quest to use recycled plastic for its bricks, but it remains committed to finding eco-friendly solutions.
One of Lego's main sustainability goals is to transition to sustainable materials in its core products and packaging by 2030. The company has been working on using recycled plastic for its bricks, specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from recycled drink bottles. However, in 2023, Lego announced that it would not be progressing with this initiative due to challenges in reducing carbon emissions and the complexity of non-oil-based materials. Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable alternatives and has expressed its intention to encourage the production of more sustainable raw materials.
Lego has also been taking steps to reduce single-use plastic in its packaging. The company has introduced recyclable packaging across its business, including its core products and licensed products from partners. Lego's boxes now primarily use paper and cardboard, which are more likely to be recycled, and the company is gradually replacing plastic bags with paper-based bags made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper. These bags have a thin plastic coating to ensure they are fit for purpose, and they have been verified as recyclable in the European Union, the United States, and Canada.
In addition to its packaging initiatives, Lego has been working on making its products more sustainable. The company has partnered with WWF and joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) to support sustainably sourced plastic and secure sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the bioplastics industry. Lego has also been using bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), made from sustainably sourced sugarcane, for its botanical elements such as leaves, bushes, and trees. These pieces are third-party certified and account for 1-2% of the total amount of plastic elements produced by the company.
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Lego's use of bio-polypropylene and bio-polyethylene
Lego has been working towards sustainability by transitioning to bio-based plastic for its products and packaging. In 2018, Lego launched its first elements made from bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), which are botanical-themed elements like leaves, bushes, and trees. Since then, Lego has expanded its range and now makes around 150 elements from bio-PE, including many Lego Minifigure accessories. The company ensures that the sugarcane used to produce bio-PE grows at the same rate of use, is sourced sustainably, and doesn't compromise food security.
Lego has also committed to using bio-polypropylene, a sustainable and biological variant of polyethylene, for parts in Lego sets such as leaves, trees, and other accessories. The company believes that this will encourage the increased production of more sustainable raw materials, such as recycled oils, and support their transition to sustainable materials.
In addition to bio-based plastics, Lego has explored other ways to improve sustainability. They have worked to remove single-use plastic from their boxes, transitioning to paper-based bags with a thin plastic coating. Lego has also partnered with WWF and joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) to advance the development of plant-based plastics and secure fully sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the bioplastics industry.
While Lego initially explored using recycled plastic bottles (PET) for its bricks, they decided not to progress with this initiative as it did not reduce carbon emissions. Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable materials for its products and has set a deadline of 2030 to use sustainable materials in all its core packaging and products.
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Lego's partnership with WWF and the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance
Lego's partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) is part of the company's efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and transition to more sustainable materials. Lego joined the BFA in 2016 as part of its commitment to achieving its 2030 goal of using sustainable materials for all packaging and core products. The BFA, an initiative of the WWF, aims to guide the selection of bio-based sources and encourage the development of responsibly sourced bioplastics.
Through this partnership, Lego aims to secure fully sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the bioplastics industry. The plant-based plastic used to make Lego's botanical elements, such as leaves, bushes, and trees, is third-party certified following global standards for responsibly sourced sugarcane. This ensures that the sugarcane is grown at the same rate as it is used and does not compromise food security.
The WWF has been a close collaborator with Lego on various sustainability initiatives, including sourcing sustainable packaging materials, the WindMade initiative, and the WWF's Climate Savers program. The BFA will support Lego in its efforts to incorporate bio-based plastic into its materials strategy and reduce the environmental impact of its operations and products.
Lego has also made other efforts to become more sustainable, such as investing more than $1 billion in its first carbon-neutral factory in the United States, removing single-use plastic from its boxes, and using bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) made from sustainably sourced sugarcane for some elements. The company has also experimented with using recycled plastic bottles to make its bricks, although it recently abandoned this project due to higher carbon emissions over the product's lifetime. Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable materials for its products and has set a deadline of 2032 for this goal.
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Lego's recyclable packaging and paper-based bags
Lego has been working towards sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. The company has set a deadline of 2032 to find sustainable materials for its Lego bricks. In 2021, Lego started transitioning from single-use plastic to paper-based packaging and bags. The new packaging is made from paper with a thin plastic coating on the inside that seals the bags and protects the product. The paper used for the bags comes from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests and FSC-controlled wood. The packaging has been verified as recyclable in the European Union, the United States, and Canada.
Lego boxes in the US and Canada feature the How2Recycle label, which provides clear guidance to consumers on how to responsibly dispose of or recycle their Lego packaging. The company encourages people to check with their local authorities for the correct disposal of the paper-based bags, as the rules for recycling vary between countries, regions, and municipalities.
Lego is also committed to removing single-use plastic from its boxes and has partnered with WWF to support and build demand for sustainably sourced plastic. The company has joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA), an initiative of WWF, to secure the fully sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the bioplastics industry.
While Lego has made strides towards sustainability in its packaging and sourcing of raw materials, it has faced challenges in its quest to create Lego bricks from recycled plastic. In 2021, Lego began researching a potential transition to recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), which requires about 2kg of petroleum to make 1kg of plastic. However, in 2023, Lego announced that it had decided not to progress with this initiative, as it found that the material did not reduce carbon emissions and carried a higher carbon footprint than sticking with ABS.
Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable solutions and has invested significantly in sustainability initiatives. The company continues to explore alternative materials, such as bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) and plant-based plastics, to reduce its environmental impact and protect the planet for future generations.
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Frequently asked questions
Lego has been working towards reducing its use of excess plastic. The company has switched to using paper-based packaging for its Lego baseplates, which were previously wrapped in single-use plastic. Lego has also been introducing recyclable packaging across all areas of its business, from its core products to licensed products produced by its partners.
Lego has been working on various initiatives to reduce its plastic waste. The company has partnered with WWF to support and build demand for sustainably sourced plastic and joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) to secure fully sustainable sourcing of raw materials for the bioplastics industry. Lego has also donated 1.2 million pounds of Lego bricks to the First Book program, which has distributed Lego Replay boxes to over 10,000 educators and 300,000 children in the US.
Lego has been working on creating recycled plastic bricks, however, these efforts have not been successful. Lego tested using recycled plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) but found that the material did not reduce carbon emissions and required higher total carbon emissions than their current plastic. Despite this setback, Lego remains committed to finding sustainable materials for its bricks by 2032 and continues to invest in sustainability initiatives.
