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Hey LEGO fans! We’ve got some exciting news that’s as good for the planet as it is for our playtime. LEGO is on a mission to make all its packaging more sustainable by 2025, and they’re already making huge strides. Did you know that a whopping 93% of their packaging is already made from recyclable materials like paper and cardboard? Talk about setting the bar high!
The latest buzz is all about LEGO’s shift from those single-use plastic pre-pack bags in their boxes to ones made of paper. Yes, you heard that right – paper-based bags are in, and they’re not just any paper; they’re sourced from Forest Stewardship Council® certified forests and FSC-controlled wood. It’s like giving the planet a big high-five!
This eco-friendly makeover is happening right now in LEGO factories across Europe and Asia, and it’s set to kick off in the Americas next year. It’s a big deal, considering how important it is to phase out single-use plastics, which are, sadly, not often recycled.
Tim Brooks, the LEGO Group’s VP of Environmental Responsibility, shared his excitement about this significant milestone. He mentioned the technical challenges they faced in finding the perfect paper bag that meets LEGO’s high standards without compromising the quality that fans expect. It’s not just a change; it’s a revolution in how LEGO thinks about packaging.
The journey to this point wasn’t easy. The operations team at LEGO tested around 70 different types of paper to find the perfect one. They needed a bag sturdy enough to handle shipping and sensitive to different climates in their global factories. The result? An amazing paper bag that’s now rolling off production lines in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and China.
But wait, there’s more! LEGO is also revamping its Pick a Brick and Collectible Minifigures packaging. Say goodbye to plastic cups and hello to paper-based containers and cardboard boxes. These new formats are not only more sustainable but also more efficient to store and ship. And they’ll be popping up in LEGO Retail Stores across Europe and North America, with South America and Asia following suit next year.
And here’s a fun fact: the new bags are made of 95% paper with a thin plastic coating to keep those precious LEGO elements safe and sound. They’re widely recyclable in countries with paper-recycling infrastructure, and they’ve been given the thumbs up by external labs in the EU, US, and Canada.
In a big sustainability push, LEGO is investing over $1.4 billion in the next three years to reduce its environmental footprint. The introduction of paper-based bags, along with new packaging for Pick a Brick and LEGO Minifigures, are just a few of the steps they’re taking.
So, the next time you open a LEGO box, you might just find one of these new paper-based bags. It’s a small change that makes a big difference. Happy building, and here’s to a greener planet, one brick at a time!
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