Experts are concerned about global plastic consumption, but Lego is taking the necessary steps to become less dependent on fossil fuels.
Lego wants to build a “more sustainable future” by using more environmentally friendly materials to make its plastic bricks by 2026, according to a press release.
The Lego Company aims to make the material it uses to make its building bricks 50 percent recycled or renewable within the next two years, according to a press release. The company has been working for eight years to create a Lego brick that does not require fossil fuels.
Currently, 30 percent of a colorful brick is made of certified mass balance resin. This means that on average 22 percent of the material used to make a Lego brick comes from renewable and recycled sources, according to Lego’s press release.
“The company wants to help accelerate the industry’s transition to more sustainable and higher-quality materials,” the press release states.
Since 2023, the company has almost doubled the amount of resin material used to make the bricks. Last year, 18% of the resin was used, meaning 12% came from sustainable sources.
The resin’s “mass balance approach” uses materials that are a mix of “both new fossil and renewable and recycled raw materials such as used cooking or vegetable oils,” according to Lego’s website.
Pay more for materials, but Lego prices remain the same
To achieve its environmental goal of reducing the proportion of fossil fuels in its building blocks in a timely manner, Lego will pay 70% more for more certified renewable resin.
However, Lego will absorb the costs rather than passing them on to consumers, and the prices of Lego sets will not increase as a result of the material swap.
“For a family business committed to sustainability, it is a privilege that we can pay more for raw materials without having to charge customers more,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told Reuters.
This is done in the hope that it will “help accelerate the industry’s transition to more sustainable and higher quality materials.”
According to a Lego news article from March, the company also began using arMABS, which is made from recycled, artificial marble. The material is commonly used in kitchen countertops and, as of 2024, 500 different Lego pieces will contain the material.
600 different materials tested
According to Reuters, Lego, which produces billions of building bricks every year, has tested over 600 materials to create a new medium to replace petroleum-based building bricks by 2032.
Although the perfect material has not been found, the company has figured out what not to use.
In 2023, Lego abandoned the option to use a particular recycled plastic, polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), after finding that it would result in higher carbon emissions.
Legos and the environment: Lego goes in a different direction after plastic bottle prototype was found to not reduce emissions
Investing in future companies
According to Reuters, plastic is expected to boost demand for oil in the coming decades.
Around 460 million tons of plastic are produced every year and another 20 million tons are thrown away, all of which ends up in the environment, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This number is expected to rise significantly by 2040.
Lego is looking for a plastic alternative amid growing concerns about plastic and microplastic pollution.
Lego suppliers use cooking oil, waste fat from the food industry and recycled materials to replace new fossil fuels in plastic production.
The company also attaches great importance to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and has launched a new Supplier Sustainability Program, according to a press release.
The program “requires suppliers to set emission reduction targets by 2026 and further through 2028,” it says.
Contributors: Reuters
Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local business and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz
