LegoBuilding a
Greener
Brick
A toymaker could
soon turn discarded
plastic into a staple
of kids’ playrooms.
BILLUND, DENMARK14
NO.Over the past six years,
a team of more than
150 employees at Lego’s
headquarters have tested
hundreds of different plas-
tic formulations as they
worked toward the holy
grail: a Lego brick made
from recycled or renewable
materials. In July, Lego an-
nounced a breakthrough,
unveiling a prototype
made from recycled PET
plastic sourced from dis-
carded bottles. Research-
ers ground the plastic
into flakes and combined
them with additives tostrengthen the material so
it had the “clutch power”
that Lego pieces are
known for (see the photo
above). The company still
has testing to do—like
figuring out how to get the
bricks the right color—but
hopes to have them on
the market within 18 to
24 months. The implica-
tions are massive for Lego,
which last year generated
nearly $7 billion in rev-
enue. The company uses
more than 100,000 tons
of plastic in the 100 bil-
lion Lego “elements” (frombricks to little plastic
people) it produces annu-
ally, and a single one-liter
bottle can produce 10
two-by-four stud Lego
pieces. The efforts are part
of a broader commitment:
Lego said in 2020 it would
invest $400 million over
three years in sustainabil-
ity efforts. Single-use plas-
tic bags are being phased
out from its packaging,
and flexible pieces are
now made from a plastic
derived from sustainably
sourced sugarcane.
—Beth Kowitt