After testing, Lego removed one of its oil-free recycled plastic block prototypes, indicating that the material didn't reduce carbon emissions. The toymaker isn't quitting the effort to make its toys sustainable, he said in a statement.
In 2021, the company released a prototype brick, made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, that was supposed to be better for the environment than its traditional bricks, which are mostly made from oil-based plastic called ABS.
After two years of testing, the company discovered 'the material didn't reduce carbon emissions,' said a Lego Group spokeswoman.
It has 'decided not to progress' in making bricks from recycled PET, the spokeswoman said.
In an interview, Lego Group CEO Niels Christiansen said the material would have resulted in more carbon emissions over the products' lifetime because it would have required new equipment.
Lego is still committed to making its Lego bricks from sustainable materials by 2032, the company said in a statement. It is currently developing and testing bricks made from various alternative sustainable materials, including other recycled plastics and plastics made from alternative sources such as e-methanol.
In 2022, the company began investing more than $1.4 billion in sustainability initiatives over a four-year period to transition to more sustainable materials and reduce its carbon emissions by 37% by 2032.
The company is aiming to utilize bio-PE, which is made from a renewable raw material sugar cane, to produce Lego elements such as leaves, trees and accessories.