The Danish toy manufacturer Lego launched a plan to recycle plastic bottles to make building blocks in 2021. After two years of trying, Lego recently announced that the carbon footprint of the plastic recycling process is higher, which is in line with the company's goal of reducing 37% carbon emissions in 2032. The goals run counter to each other. But the company is still committed to continuing to find other sustainable materials suitable for building blocks.
The goal of no longer using petroleum to make plastic building blocks and PET bottles once became a hope
Lego produces about 60 billion building blocks every year, and its main raw material comes from ABS plastic refined from petroleum. ABS plastic has high gloss, high stability, and is easy to process and color. It is widely used in toys, cars, home appliance casings and other products. But the production process of ABS plastic is also quite energy-consuming. The Financial Times reported that it takes about 2 kilograms of oil to produce 1 kilogram of ABS.
According to Fast Company, Lego set a goal in 2012 to completely abandon the use of petroleum-based materials to make building blocks by 2030.
“We originally believed that it would not be that difficult to find this amazing new material,” Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times. “But we tested hundreds of materials and just couldn’t find the right one. .
Since 2018, Lego has begun testing bio-based plastics made from various plant ingredients, but there has been no good news. It was finally announced in 2021 that plastic made from recycled PET bottles may be a dreamy new environmentally friendly solution. Unfortunately, after two years of testing, the carbon emissions of this new material process may be even greater.
The plastic recycling process emits more carbon emissions
LEGO Chief Sustainability Officer Tim Brooks explained that because recycled PET plastic is relatively soft, other substances need to be added to achieve the same level of resistance and safety as ABS. In addition, more energy is needed to process and dry these raw materials. . "It's like making a bicycle out of metal instead of wood."
He said that to reach mass production scale, the manufacturing environment of all factories needs to be changed, which will make the carbon footprint higher.
According to the Associated Press, Lego is still experimenting with various alternative sustainable materials, including other recycled materials or green methanol (e-methanol, also known as e-methanol). Green methanol is a product synthesized from carbon dioxide and hydrogen through a thermal catalytic reaction. Each kilogram of methanol produced can reduce approximately 1.375 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
A Lego spokesperson said that it will continue to invest US$1.2 billion in sustainability initiatives before 2025 to achieve the 2032 carbon emission reduction target of 37%.
References:
*BBC (26 September 2023), Lego axes plan to make bricks from recycled bottles
*Associated Press (September 26, 2023), Toymaker Lego will stick to its quest to find sustainable materials despite failed recycle attempt
*Financial Times (25 September 2023), Lego ditches oil-free brick in sustainability setback
*LEGO (April 17, 2023), LEGO Sustainability Progress Report
*Fast Company (July 1, 2015), Why Lego Is Spending Millions To Ditch Oil-Based Plastic
Source: Environmental Information Center
