Danish toymaker LEGO Group has announced plans to eliminate single-use plastic packaging and instead use recyclable paper as part of its $400 million investment into sustainability initiatives for the next three years. The new recyclable packaging has been developed for the past two years and will appear in LEGO boxes starting in 2021.
According to Tim Brooks, LEGO’s VP of environmental responsibility, the plan is part of the company’s mission to use sustainable packaging for all of its products by the end of 2025. LEGO’s packaging boxes require about 5,000 tons/year of plastic to make, 10% of its total packaging. Meanwhile, producing LEGO pieces uses 90,000 tons/year.
LEGO has been developing alternatives to petroleum-based plastic that it can use to produce its bricks. It has made some progress but still uses petroleum-based plastic to produce the majority of its blocks. Brooks said that LEGO is aiming to make sustainable blocks with the same safety, durability, colours, and compatibility with older bricks made of conventional plastic.
LEGO said it is involved in collaborations with research institutes to find the alternative materials. It aims at creating all of its blocks from sustainable materials 2030. Currently, 2% of LEGO blocks are made of plant-based materials like sugar cane.
