No More Plastic: Lego Pledges $150 Million to Go Green
Lego just announced a bold 10-year plan to makes its goods more environmentally friendly. This comes after a 2013 partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to develop a plan in reducing its overall carbon emissions, as well as those of its supply chain.
Eco-friendly Legos are now a major initiative for the company. (Photo: Thinkstock)
Lego pledged to invest $150 million to find a replacement for the plastic used in its blocks as well as to reduce the size of its packaging. A commitment for this kind of strategy includes using recycled or renewed materials and improving the recyclability of its products. To date, it has already invested in wind power.
“Several factors influence the environmental sustainability of a material — the composition of the material, how it is sourced, and what happens when the product reaches the end of its life,” Lego CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp said.
Lego statues of characters from the Minions movie franchise. (Photo: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
Millions of toys are produced and disposed of each year. Considering the environmental footprint this is leaving on the world’s fragile ecosystem is something of grave concern for the leaders in the industry.
Hasbro and Mattel, producers of such iconic toys as Play-Doh and Hot Wheels, respectively, have also vowed to invest in this global issue.
By 2020, Hasbro plans to reduce its waste, water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. It is also overhauling the packaging for most of its brands; efforts include a redesign of the Play-Doh can. These strides have led to Hasbro being named a winner of the EPA’s 2014 Climate Leadership Award.
After caving to mounting pressure from Greenpeace, Mattel committed to source new materials for its packaging, setting a goal of 85 percent recycled materials by the end of 2015.
Brickrecycler.com gives people the resources to recycle old Lego bricks. (Photo: Brickrecycler.com)
With companies such as these marketing their goods to children, it is only logical that they should set the right example and make the world a greener place for our future.
“The investment announced is a testament to our continued ambition to leave a positive impact on the planet, which future generations will inherit,” said Lego Group owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Words we should all try to live by.
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