Lego gives up the attempt to produce bricks without oil-based plastic. The reason is that the new material that was used led to higher greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of Lego was to make bricks from recycled polyethylene terephthalate, writes the Financial Times. Managing director Niels Christiansen tells the newspaper that, after hundreds of tests, the Danish company has now given up on finding a material that will produce less emissions, NTB reports. Like a tricycle? Tim Brooks, who leads the sustainability work at Lego, says that the recycled material is softer than the oil-based, and that it therefore needs more ingredients to maintain the same standard, and that a lot of energy is required to process it. – It’s like trying to make a bicycle out of wood instead of steel, he says. Three years ago, Lego began to look at the possibilities of doing something with the plastic blocks, writes Danmarks Radio. They then promised to make bricks without oil-based plastic by 2030, which would also have the same colour, glow and sound as before. Paper bags Although Lego has not cracked the code for more environmentally friendly pieces, they have a major project underway to replace the plastic bags that Lego is in. The bricks are often distributed in small plastic bags inside the boxes, and the plan is for these to be replaced by 2025 of paper bags, according to Packaging World. According to the company, the investment will cost around NOK 4.3 billion. Earlier this summer, Lego cemented itself as a toy giant. Sales in the first half of the year increased by three percent compared to the same period last year, while the rest of the market fell. – In the first quarter, we had a turnover that was 89 per cent higher than five years ago, said Niels Christiansen to the Ritzau news agency.
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Lego cannot become greener – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
