Legos — aka the building blocks of childhood — just got way more badass. The Lego Group recently vowed to replace oil-based plastics, and the Danish company is already dropping some major dough to find alternatives.
Fast Company has the story:
The company is pouring 1 billion Danish krone, or around $150 million, into a new sustainable materials center that will open in 2016 and plans to add another 100 employees focused specifically on finding new materials for their toys and packaging. The classic bricks will likely still look and feel exactly the same when the company makes the shift; the material will still be plastic, just something that’s not made from oil.
“We’re looking at every opportunity out there that’s more sustainable than what we have today,” [Roar Trangbaek, press officer for Lego Group] says. That might involve recycled plastics, though it’s probably more likely to be something bio-based, because of the challenges of recycling.
Currently, Legos are made of #7 plastic, which many recycling facilities do not accept. The new, sustainable brick should hit shelves by 2030.
Yes, that’s pretty far down the road. But now you have 15 years to overcome some nostalgia hurdles and figure out what to do with your old Lego sets. Lucky for you, we’ve got a few ideas how to do that. You’re welcome!
