Lego, known the world over for its plastic blocks that have built many a childhood dream, is now pumping in millions of dollars into research so it can switch over to a more sustainable materials instead of the plastics it currently uses. The toy company has said that it will invest US$150 million over the next decade and a half to develop materials that are more sustainable. That’s not all. The company is also working toward making its packaging more eco-friendly
According to Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, owner of the Lego Group, the company stands committed to building materials that leave a better impact on the earth. An appreciable percentage of this investment will go into the Lego Sustainable Materials Center which is located in Denmark. The company said that the center will employ about 100 people, most of whom will be specialists. It is expected that the center will be operational by 2016.
The Lego Group has set an ambitious target already: By 2030, it aims to go sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint by an appreciable degree. Toward this end, the company has already taken steps such as shrinking the size of packaging and introducing packaging that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company has even gone all out to invest in a wind farm. With all of these initiatives firmly in place, the company is now shifting its emphasis on sustainable materials.
According to available data, the Lego blocks that several generations have grown up with are made using a plastic commonly known as ABS or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Reports state that the company consumes a whopping 6,000 tons of plastic annually to produce its iconic toy blocks. Reports in the media say that in 2014 alone, Lego manufactured a mind-boggling 60 billion pieces of Lego.
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