A team of more than 150 people is working to find sustainable solutions for Lego products. Over the past three years, materials scientists and engineers have tested more than 250 PET materials and hundreds of other plastic formulations. The result was a prototype that met several of their quality, safety and gaming requirements — including clutch power.
‘We are very excited about this breakthrough,’ said Tim Brooks, lego group’s vice president of environmental responsibility. The biggest challenge on our sustainability journey is to rethink and innovate new materials that are as durable, strong and of high quality as our existing building blocks, and match the Lego elements made over the past 60 years. With this prototype, we were able to show the progress we were making.
Bricks of high quality and in compliance with regulations
It will be some time before bricks made from recycled materials appear in Lego boxes. The team will continue to test and develop PET formulations before evaluating whether to proceed to pre-production. The next phase of testing is expected to take at least a year.
‘We know kids care about the environment and want us to make our products more sustainable,’ Mr. Brooks said. Even though it will be a while before they can play with blocks made from recycled plastic, we want to let the kids know we’re working on it and take them on the journey with us. Experimentation and failure are an important part of learning and innovation. Just as kids build, dismantle and rebuild from Legos at home, we do the same thing in the lab.
The prototype is made from recycled PET from US suppliers that use processes approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to ensure quality. On average, a litre plastic PET bottle provides enough raw material for ten 2 x 4 Legos.
Sustainable material innovation with positive impact
The patent-pending material formulation improves the durability of PET enough to be used in Lego bricks. The innovative process uses custom compounding technology to combine recycled PET with reinforcement additives. The recycled prototype bricks are the latest development to make the Lego group’s products more sustainable.
‘We are committed to playing our part in building a sustainable future for generations of children,’ Brooks said. We want our products to have a positive impact on the planet, not just through the games they inspire, but also through the materials we use. We have a long way to go on our journey, but I am pleased with the progress we have made.
The Lego Group’s focus on sustainable materials innovation is just one of several different initiatives the company is taking to make a positive impact. The Lego Group will invest up to $400 million over the three years to 2022 to accelerate its sustainability ambitions.
Post time: Jun-24-2022