Danish toy giant Lego launched a program in 2021 to recycle plastic bottles into building blocks. After two years of experimentation, Lego recently announced that the recycled plastic process has a higher carbon footprint, which runs counter to the company's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 37% by 2032. However, the company remains committed to continuing to find other sustainable materials suitable for building blocks.
The goal is to stop using oil to make plastic building blocks. PET bottles were once a hope.
LEGO produces approximately 60 billion building blocks annually, primarily made from petroleum-derived ABS plastic. ABS plastic, with its high gloss, high stability, and ease of processing and coloring, is widely used in products such as toys, automobiles, and appliance casings. However, the production of ABS plastic is also quite energy-intensive. The Financial Times reported that approximately 2 kilograms of petroleum are required to produce 1 kilogram of ABS.
According to Fast Company, Lego set a goal in 2012 to completely stop using petroleum-based materials to make building blocks by 2030.
“We were convinced that finding this amazing new material wouldn’t be that difficult,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times. “But we tested hundreds of materials and just couldn’t find the right one.”
Since 2018, LEGO has been testing various plant-based bioplastics, but no positive results have been reported. In 2021, they finally announced that plastic made from recycled PET bottles might be a promising new environmental solution. Unfortunately, after two years of testing, the manufacturing process for this new material may even produce higher carbon emissions.
Recycling plastics emits more carbon
Lego's Chief Sustainability Officer, Tim Brooks, explained that because recycled PET plastic is softer, it needs to be mixed with other materials to achieve the same level of durability and safety as ABS. Furthermore, more energy is required to process and dry these raw materials. "It's like making a bicycle out of wood instead of metal."
He said that to achieve mass production, the manufacturing environment of all factories would need to be changed, which would result in a higher carbon footprint.
According to the Associated Press, Lego is still exploring various alternative sustainable materials, including other recycled materials or green methanol (e-methanol). Green methanol is a product synthesized by thermal catalytic reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Each kilogram of methanol produced can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 1.375 metric tons.
A Lego spokesperson said the company will continue to invest $1.2 billion in sustainability initiatives by 2025 to achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 37% by 2032.
References:
* BBC (September 26, 2023), Lego axes plan to make bricks from recycled bottles
* Associated Press (September 26, 2023), Toymaker Lego will stick to its quest to find sustainable materials despite failed recycle attempt
* Financial Times (September 25, 2023), Lego ditches oil-free brick in sustainability setback
* LEGO (April 17, 2023), LEGO Sustainability Progress Report
* Fast Company (July 1, 2015), Why Lego Is Spending Millions To Ditch Oil-Based Plastic
Source: Environmental Information Center
