Sustainable LEGO Brick Prototype
What is The LEGO Group?
The LEGO Group is a Danish toy production company based in Billund. It is best known for the manufacture of LEGO-brand toys, consisting mostly of interlocking plastic bricks. The company was founded on 10 August 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen. The name LEGO is derived from the Danish words ‘leg godt’ which means ‘play well’. In the first half of 2015, The LEGO Group became the world’s largest toy company by revenue.
Sustainable LEGO Bricks
On Wednesday, 23rd June 2021, The LEGO Group unveiled a prototype of a LEGO brick made from recycled plastic as one of their steps to make LEGO products more environmentally friendly. A team of more than 150 people are working to find sustainable solutions for LEGO products. These scientists and engineers tested over 250 variations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials and hundreds of other plastic formulations. The result is the new prototype that’s made from PET bottles and some additional chemicals which meets the company’s strict quality and safety requirements. The Vice President of Environmental Responsibility at The LEGO Group, Tim Brooks stated that they’re super excited about the breakthrough and their biggest challenge on the sustainability journey is rethinking and innovating new materials that are as durable, strong, and high quality as their existing bricks.
The current lego brick models - made from plastic
Brooks said that the two types of bricks should fit together and be interchangeable like any LEGO products. The LEGO Group’s goal is to find a product good enough that can last years which looks the same with their usual bricks. They will also add colours to the prototype bricks and test them with children and adult fans. LEGO said that many customers, both children and adults, were asking for more sustainability when buying products in general, and had contacted the firm to say so. Toy manufacturers must ensure the toys are made to endure many years of use but are still good for the environment.
Brooks stated that LEGO wants to start using the bottle-made bricks as soon as possible. The team will continue testing and developing the PET formulation and assess whether to move to the pilot production phase. It will still be some time before the bricks made of recycled material appear in LEGO products boxes. The prototype which is made from recycled PET sourced from suppliers in the US that use US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) approved processes to ensure its quality. The material formulation increases durability of PET to make it strong enough for LEGO bricks, the innovative process uses a bespoke compounding technology to combine the recycled PET with strengthening additives.
In the process of making LEGO’s products more sustainable, LEGO decided to carry on making them durable rather than biodegradable, and is banking on people to save the blocks and not to throw them away after playing with them. LEGO makes between 110 and 120 billion plastic pieces per year, and about 80% are currently made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). About 5% are made from polymer that comes from sugar cane from which LEGO makes its plastic plants. The firm emits about 1.2 million tonnes of carbon per year, and about a third of that is from making its materials. Using recycled plastic will help to cut those emissions and make the world a cleaner place.
The first look at the new sustainable LEGO brick models - made from recycled plastic
The LEGO Group is committed to playing their part in building a sustainable future for generations of children. They want their products to have a positive impact on the planet, not just with the play they inspire, but also with the materials they use. The LEGO Group still has a long way to go on the journey but are pleased with the progress that they’re making. LEGO’s focus on sustainable material innovations is just one of several different initiatives the company has in place to make a positive impact. The LEGO Group is taking urgent action to make all of their LEGO packaging sustainable by 2025, they have been testing paper bags to replace their single use plastic packaging. The LEGO Group will also invest up to US $400 million over three years to 2022 to accelerate its sustainability ambitions.
If you are a LEGO consumer based in the US, you can help to reduce plastic waste by donating your unused LEGO products to LEGO Replay. LEGO Replay wants to inspire LEGO brick owners to pass their unused bricks to other children. LEGO is working with organizations such as Teach for America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston to receive your bricks and give them new life. These bricks will be given to thousands of American children who need them to learn problem solving and think creatively through playing. Until now, there are 405,808 pounds of LEGO bricks and 61,702 children who are playing with the donated bricks from LEGO Replay! Go donate your bricks now for a better environment!
SOURCES:
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57575991
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2021/june/prototype-lego-brick-recycled-plastic/
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/lego-recycled-plastic-bricks
https://www.lego.com/en-sg/aboutus/sustainability/reporting/environment/
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/replay
IMAGES:
The LEGO Group reveals first prototype LEGO® brick made from recycled plastic [LEGO]