Lego Pursues Eco-Friendly Innovation: Seeks Sustainable Formula for Iconic Bricks

Lego’s reliance on plastic presents a major problem. Two years after developing a brick prototype made from PET plastic bottles, the company conceded defeat. “Using recycled polyethylene terephthalate would have resulted in higher carbon emissions over the product’s lifecycle,” lamented CEO Niels Christiansen in 2023. Now, the company is focusing on improving the carbon footprint of its bricks by substituting some components with bio-based or recycled materials.

To facilitate this green transition, Lego has deployed 400 engineers from its headquarters in Billund, Denmark. To date, they have tested over 600 materials. “Some will work, others will not. That’s the nature of innovation,” claims the company, which is tripling its spending on environmental sustainability this year.

Thus, it is incorporating biopolyethylene bricks from sustainable sugar cane for its plant elements and artificial marble bricks for its transparent elements, such as windows and lightsabers. It has also recently developed a new material, rSEBS, recycled rubber from used fishing nets for tires.

However, one aspect that remains unchanged at Lego is the tradition of passing down bricks. The company emphasizes that 97% of brick owners keep them to share with family members, a compelling argument indeed.