Botanical elements such as leaves, bushes and trees will be produced with a new plastic of plant origin, thanks to a process that uses sugar cane and will be present in Lego sets as early as 2018.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himLego ever greener. The Danish giant had already announced the gradual abandonment of plastic for its legendary bricks and is now starting to get serious by launching some elements produced with a new plastic of plant origin.
These are “botanical” pieces, such as leaves, bushes and trees, which are created through a process that uses sugar cane, in order to create truly eco-sustainable elements.
So is Lego converting to zero impact on the environment? It is true that for now these are polyethylene elements that represent only 1-2% of the total quantity of plastic elements, but we appreciate the effort of the whole group, which has also set 2030 as a deadline for achieving the zero waste strategy and introduced sustainable pulp trays for the Lego advent calendar, thereby reducing the production of plastic waste destined for landfills.
Meanwhile, Lego still uses more than 6 thousand tons of plastic per year and 70% of the materials are made of ABS, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (Source), but the Danish producers seem ready to live up to the promise to become a 100% renewable company and to find a sustainable alternative to the more than 20 conventional plastics now used in their products.
“The Lego Group's goal is to have a positive impact on the planet, and we are working hard to develop new sustainable materials to be used in the creation of fantastic children's games. We are proud because the first Lego elements made with eco-sustainable plastics are already in production and this year they will be present in the Lego sets. This is a first major change and step towards our goal: to produce Lego bricks using sustainable materials, ”says Tim Brooks, Vice President and Head of Environmental Sustainability of the Lego Group.
The new Lego in vegetable plastic
The new sustainable Lego elements - which represent 1-2% of the total quantity of plastic elements - are made of polyethylene, a soft, resistant and flexible plastic and even if obtained through the processing of sugar cane, they are technically identical to those made with conventional plastic.
“LEGO products have always offered high-quality creative play experiences by giving every child the opportunity to conceive their own world through creative play. Children and parents will not notice any difference in the quality or appearance of the new elements, plant-based polyethylene has the same properties as conventional polyethylene, ”says Brooks.
The group also partnered with WWF to support and create market demand for a plastics from sustainable sources and took part in the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA), a WWF initiative, to ensure sustainable supply of the raw material. for the bioplastics industry. The plant-based plastic used in the creation of the LEGO botanical elements is certified by the association's Chain of Custody legislation.
Finally, the plant-based polyethylene used in the elements consists of ethanol obtained from sugar cane sourced from sustainable sources in accordance with the guide of the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) and is certified by the Chain of Custody legislation of the Bonsucer association for the responsible use of sugar cane.
For now, the one used in the production chain is very little, but we are positive and we hope for a completely eco-friendly Lego.
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Germana Carillo
