The LEGO group has revealed that it has plans to make its company more eco-friendly in the years to come. LEGO wants to stop using plastic and find sustainable alternatives to its current materials.
Earlier today, LEGO made the announcement about their $1 billion investment, which it will be using for "research, development and implementation of new, sustainable, raw materials to manufacture LEGO elements as well as packaging materials."
LEGO expects to recruit more than 100 employees in the coming years as it works toward making the company more eco-friendly by the year 2030. During this year and next year, a LEGO Sustainable Materials Centre organization will be established to develop partnerships with experts all around the globe.
"This is a major step for the LEGO Group on our way towards achieving our 2030 ambition on sustainable materials," CEO and President Jorgen Vig Knudstorp said in a statement. "We have already taken important steps to reduce our carbon footprint and leave a positive impact on the planet by reducing the packaging size, by introducing FSC certified packaging and through our investment in an offshore wind farm. Now we are accelerating our focus on the materials."
LEGO has been using a strong plastic called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene to make its ever-so-popular toy bricks since 1963, according to The Week. Since this is a company that uses more than 6,000 tons of plastic a year, the switch will not be cheap.
The company has not stated exactly which materials it will be getting rid of or exactly what it will use to replace the ABS plastic, but we will definitely be seeing a more improved and eco-friendly LEGO over the next 15 years.
