LEGO to Launch Eco-Friendly Bricks Made From Sugar Cane  

You now have one more reason to love LEGO blocks. By the end of this year, the company will launch a range of sustainable bricks made from a plant-based plastic sourced from sugar cane. The goal is to reduce its plastic waste, reports DeZeen.

The alternative plastic, made using ethanol produced from sugar cane, is being used to produce the brand’s leaf, bush and tree-shaped blocks. Though the plant-shaped pieces make up only a small part of LEGO’s output, the company’s goal is to make all of its bricks using the bioplastic by 2030.

Said Tim Brooks, LEGO’s vice president of environmental responsibility: “At the Lego Group we want to make a positive impact on the world around us, and are working hard to make great play products for children using sustainable materials.”

“We are proud that the first Lego elements made from sustainably sourced plastic are in production and will be in Lego boxes this year. This is a great first step in our ambitious commitment to making all Lego bricks using sustainable materials,” Brooks added.

Credit: LEGO

According to the company, the new plant-based elements will be “technically identical” to the conventionally-produced pieces. “Lego products have always been about providing high-quality play experiences giving every child the chance to shape their own world through inventive play,” said Brooks.  “Children and parents will not notice any difference in the quality or appearance of the new elements because plant-based polyethylene has the same properties as conventional polyethylene.”

This latest move is part of the company’s wider commitment to use eco-friendly materials in core products and packaging by 2030. About five years ago, LEGO partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise consumer awareness and demand for sustainably sourced plastic. And in 2016, the company joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) to secure “fully sustainable sourcing of raw material for the bioplastics industry,” reports DeZeen.

Credit: Devpy.com

“It is essential that companies in each industry find ways to responsibly source their product materials and help ensure a future where people, nature, and the economy thrive,” said Alix Grabowski, a senior program officer at WWF. LEGO is doing exactly that.

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h/t DeZeen