It's part of the company's pledge to transition to using sustainable materials in Lego products and packaging by 2030. Creating plastic parts from sugarcane -- called 'bioplastics' -- isn't a perfect solution, as that crop still requires a lot of farmland, and growing more could cut into land allocated for food production. Further, the historical demand for sugarcane has degraded tropical forests and coastal wetlands; More demand could lead to further deforestation. Changing the Lego recipe from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (based on crude oil) to a plant-sourced plastic is certainly a more sustainable choice. And though sugarcane isn't a perfect source for bioplastics, it's a first step toward making your favorite building toys (and future domestic caltrops) a little greener.
Lego is to start making some of its products from bioplastics. The Danish toymaker has previously pledged to move towards using more sustainable materials in its products by 2030, and says the latest announcement is the first step towards that goal. Parts resembling leaves, bushes and trees will be made from a type of polyethylene made from sugarcane ethanol. The material is more sustainable than the existing crude oil-based acrylonitrile butadiene styrene currently used, although the production of sugarcane has raised concerns over deforestation. “Bio-based plastics are becoming increasingly popular as alternatives for many products, including toys, food packaging, packaging materials, construction material, building blocks and even medical devices,” said Peter Jensen, head of sustainability at Lego.