Kids Asked LEGO To Ditch Plastic Bags In Packaging And The Brand Switches To Paper

Danish toymaker LEGO has announced that they will transition to plastic-free packaging, part of a $400 million investment “to accelerate sustainability and social responsibility initiatives.” Instead of using the typical plastic bags to hold loose bricks, the firm will begin using FSC-certified, sustainably-sourced paper pouches. LEGO plans to make all of its packaging sustainable by 2025.

The trial versions of the paper bags were a hit with children, which, according to LEGO, liked that the new packaging was both more sustainable and more straightforward to open than the current plastic bags.

In addition to replacing the plastic found in LEGO set packaging, the firm is also looking for alternative materials for the over 75 billion pieces the company produces annually. According to LEGO, only 2% of its materials portfolio consists of non-petroleum substitutes such as bioplastics made from sugar cane, but the firm has set a goal of using 100% sustainable materials.

“We have received many letters from children about the environment, asking us to remove single-use plastic packaging. We have been exploring alternatives for some time, and the passion and ideas from children inspired us to begin to make the change,” LEGO Group CEO Niels B Christiansen said in a press release.

LEGO bricks have sustainability baked-into its humble design, and pieces made over 40 years ago will fit bricks made today, so older sets can be passed down, resold, and ultimately replayed with by more children.