Lego, the well -known toy brick producer, holds a surprising record: he is the largest manufacturer of tires in the world for volume. Every year, the Danish company creates about 400 million small tiresintended for its construction sets. Although they are small in size, these components share many of the chemical and physical properties of tires for real vehicles, which also implies the same environmental problems.
Until today, LEGO has produced beyond Four billion plastic tiresmade with materials derived from fossil fuels. However, the company has recently announced an ecological turning point: a new generation of tires made with recycled materials, intended to significantly reduce the environmental impact.
Lego tires are now born from fishing nets and recycled oil
To make its products more ecological, LEGO has started to produce tires using Fishing nets and recycled strings from oceanic boats. These materials are combined with recycled engine oilcreating an innovative compound with reduced environmental impact.
According to the company, these new tires will initially be present in Seven different types of pieceseach of which will contain at least 30% of recycled materials. The new tires have already been inserted in some Lego sets and, aesthetically, they result identical to traditional oneskeeping the same level of quality and resistance.
Small tires, great impact
The key material of this innovation is theRSEBS (STYRENE-Ethylene-Bautylene-Styrene recycled), a thermoplastic elastomer that combines the rubber and plastic characteristics. It is a material widely used in different sectors, from the production of smartphone covers to cars of cars. Even the handle of the toothbrush you use every day could be made with sebs.
Lego tested further 600 different materials To find more sustainable alternatives, and RSEbs represents one of the most promising solutions. However, at the moment it is still in the test phase: only a limited selection of set contains these new tires.
The company plans to extend the use of recycled material a About 120 sets by the end of 2025with the aim of implementing it on an even greater number of components in the coming years.
In addition to this innovation, LEGO has set ambitious environmental objectives, including Reduce your carbon imprint of 37% And reach zero net emissions by 2050. However, the only use of RSEbs is not enough: a wider approach is needed to make the entire production more sustainable.
There is no unique solution to the challenge of sustainability. For this reason we are exploring different alternatives to reduce our environmental impact and use more renewable and recycled materials.
The other LEGO initiatives for a more green world
The introduction of the ATOBS is not the only sustainable initiative adopted by Lego. In recent years, the company has experienced New ecological materials To reduce the use of traditional plastic.
For example, transparent bricks, such as windows and laser swords, are now produced with a plastic containing 20% recycled artificial marble (weapon). In addition, many accessories of the famous LEGO minifigure are made in Biopea material similar to the plastic obtained by Brazilian sugar cane.
Currently, LEGO produces beyond 900 different elements in ArmaBSwhich once completely converted, will be present In 85% of Lego sets. Also, more than 200 components they are already made in Biope, and beyond half of the sets On the market it contains at least one element in sustainable material.
However, not all experiments have been successful. In 2021, Lego announced an ambitious project to produce bricks with recycled plastic from bottles. Two years later, the company had to abandon the initiative, since the changes required of the production process would have paradoxically the carbon footprint increased.
