Lego has announced plans to phase out oil-based plastics, replacing them with more sustainable materials over the next decade.
Last year, the BBC series Blue Planet II raised public concern about the environmental harm done by discarded plastics, which break down into microscopic particles and enter the food chain through the world’s oceans.
But less attention has been paid to how plastics are made, even though they rely heavily on oil. Every kilogram of ABS plastic produced for Lego requires 2kg of petroleum.
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Plant-based alternatives are being developed, but they can’t yet match the properties of their oil-based predecessors.
“We’ve had 50 years to play with ABS and perfect it,” Tim Brooks, a Lego vice-president, told Wired magazine. “We’re not at that stage with bio-based materials and recyclable materials.”
One of the biggest challenges is replicating the grip of the existing blocks. They need to stick together firmly, but still come apart when pulled – a quality the firm calls “clutch control”. There are also problems with colour consistency.
Nevertheless, Lego has committed to replacing all oil-based plastics by 2030.
Sharon George, a lecturer in environmental sustainability at Keele University, told the Financial Times: “It’s not an easy challenge for them. But I really hope that Lego can do something innovative because if anybody can they can, thanks to their prices.”
The huge firm is able to buy one kilo of ABS plastic granules for about 75p, says the newspaper – and sells the equivalent weight of bricks for £58.
It will make a start this year, replacing trees, bushes and some dragon wings with plant-based polyethylene.
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