Lego provided an update in its efforts to move away from fossil fuels in its bricks. According to Reuters, the toymaker said it is on pace to switch to a pricier recycled and renewable plastic by 2032, having secured long-term agreements with producers.
The company has already evaluated more than 600 materials in an effort to replace oil in its bricks by 2030. Previously, Lego attempted to substitute its plastic with a material derived from recycled plastic bottles.
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However, the company discovered that producing bricks from recycled plastic would require additional materials and energy in order to make them durable enough. This would mean more carbon emissions, and the company elected to continue using its fossil fuel-based materials.
Lego also implemented a recycling initiative in 2019 that asked customers to ship unwanted plastic bricks back to the company, so it could donate them to classrooms and nonprofits.
Lego’s latest solution involves gradually reducing the bricks’ oil content. CEO Niels Christiansen acknowledged this means spending more money on production as the company intends to pay up to 70% more for certified renewable resin. Christiansen added that Lego is on pace to have over half of the resin it needs in 2026 certified, marking a 30% increase in the first half of this year.
Other toymakers have already adopted sustainable practices, such as American company Hasbro, which started implementing recycled or plant-based materials into some of its toys. Additionally, Barbie maker Mattel has announced plans to use solely recyclable, recycled, or bio-based plastics in all its products by the end of the decade.
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