The giant toy company LEGO has shown off its first brick prototype made from recycled plastic bottles, as it continues toward making all of its products entirely sustainable.
When you think of words to associate with LEGO, ‘sustainable’ probably isn’t very far up the list.
The company has been attempting to change this in recent years, however. In 2018 it announced a new range of LEGO bricks made from ‘botanical’ elements including leaves, bushes, and trees, with a promise that its core products and packaging would be made from green materials by 2030.
Now, three years on, it has unveiled its first prototype for the ‘recycled brick’, made entirely of PET plastic from disposable bottles.
They look like any standard LEGO brick and are a clean white colour. Now you can finally create a giant plastic igloo out of blocks and not feel bad about it. The future is now, eh?
LEGO says over 150 employees are working to find alternative sustainable materials that can withstand intense pressure and be used in the same way as traditional bricks. 250 variations of PET material and plastic formulations have been rigorously tested, but this specific combination is the first to pass all of the company’s quality assurance checks.
Before you rush to your local toy store, however, LEGO has been quick to warn that it’ll be a while before we see these bricks on commercial shelves.
It still has several extra tests to go through and the team will continue to tinker with the PET formula to see if a stronger variation can be made, but the fact we’ve gotten this close to a final product is reason enough to feel excited.
In a statement, Vice President of Environmental Responsibility at the LEGO Group, Tim Brooks, explained that the ‘biggest challenge on our sustainability journey is rethinking and innovating new materials that are just as durable’.
With regards to these bricks being released for sale, Brooks wanted to assure younger consumers that LEGO will reach its goals as soon as possible. ‘We know kids care about the environment and we want to let them know we’re working on it. Experimentation and failing is an important part of learning and innovation’.
Aside from experimenting with PET, LEGO has also said it will invest upward of $400 million USD over three years to accelerate its sustainability goals. So, expect more cash for green products, more announcements in the future and, most crucially, more bricks.
Now, I’m off to get started on that giant igloo. Plastic bottles and all.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I was previously the Editor at Thred before moving to Bristol in 2024. As a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
Thousands of activists from across the globe are participating in The Global March to Gaza with the goal of pressuring world leaders to end Israel’s genocidal siege on the Strip.
Around the world, support for Israel’s military siege on Gaza is tanking.
Though millions of people have started speaking out, activists are springing into action to demand world leaders to stop the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe – even if it means travelling...
According to a panel of experts, children in the UK are ‘sedentary, scrolling and alone.’ The Raising the Nation Play Commission report is calling for a new strategy involving £125 million in funding.
A crisis could be looming for children in the UK, at least according to a panel of experts.
Researchers spent over a year examining the play and childhoods of young people as part of the Raising the...
The UK government has said it will build a new Sizewell C nuclear plant on the Suffolk coast, pumping a considerable amount of cash into the project to get it off the ground.
A fresh commitment to nuclear power has been announced by the UK government ahead of its ‘Spending Review’ later this week.
According to a report by the BBC, over £14 billion will be pumped into the...
Over the last week, a public spat has caused seemingly irreparable damage to the relationship of arguably America’s two most powerful men. Beyond dented egos, what are we dealing with here?
No more octagon-side dates at the UFC for these two former chums then.
As quickly as the unnerving affinity grew between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, it has ended unceremoniously and likely irreparably. But how did the Tesla boss go...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
0 Comments
