You’ve probably played with LEGO at least once in your life, as this seemingly simple toy gives opportunity for kids (and even numerous adults) to explore their creativity. However, most people don’t know that the material used to make LEGO bricks is harmful for the environment.
Fortunately, LEGO is working to develop bricks made from recyclable materials, and with their recent announcement, we are one step closer to using environmentally-friendly LEGO pieces.
LEGO bricks that are currently in the market today are made from ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastics, which is basically the best material for LEGO bricks to date.
This material gives the bricks the power to stick and grip extremely well when connected or stacked, also known as “clutch power”. It also gives the bricks its classic shiny look and color, and makes the pieces durable – apparently one LEGO brick can last up to 1,300 years.
Sadly, ABS plastic is made from Petroleum, which is invasively mined from the earth and is harmful for the environment. This is why LEGO is trying to develop pieces that are safe for future generations.
Back in 2018, LEGO started using bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), made from sugarcane waste. Despite being environmentally friendly, it was only used on soft LEGO pieces like trees and plants, and could not be used on the iconic LEGO bricks that need to be hard and durable.
Last June 23, LEGO announced that it had made a prototype brick made from PET plastics, which is made from discarded plastic bottles – definitely good for the environment.
What’s amazing about this prototype is that it meets several of LEGO’s quality, safety, and play requirements. This would mean that it would be very durable and even has the “clutch power” quality current LEGO pieces have. After three years of experimentation, the LEGO team was able to achieve this milestone.
However, there is still more that the team needs to figure out, like how to strengthen the brick even more and how to color the material in a way that resembles the classic LEGO pieces.
It will still take several years until we see environmentally-friendly LEGO bricks in the market, but this current achievement shows that the LEGO team is getting somewhere. Let’s hope for a safer future for the coming generations!
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