Danish researchers may have found a new, green version of Lego
Researchers at Aarhus University have concluded that there is a more environmentally-friendly alternative to Lego’s plastic bricks.
A new type of sustainable plastic was shown in tests to be just as durable as the traditional material used to make the iconic toy.
“Lego bricks have proved they can last a very long time, and our view is that new bricks made from new, sustainable and green materials can last for just as long,” chemical engineer and Aarhus University PhD student Emil Andersen said via a press statement.
Lego has invested one billion kroner in research aimed at developing new plastics.
The company’s mandatory criteria for the research is that new products must be just as durable as traditional Lego materials.
That means staying in shape over years of punishment through play, exposure to water, and being trodden on by unsuspecting feet.
Lego has therefore asked researchers from Aarhus University to present possible alternative materials.
“For over 60 years, we have used the plastic that we still use today in most of our Lego products,” the company’s project manager René Mikkelsen said.
“We know it works and we know it lasts, but we want to be even better at analysing the durability of our products,” Mikkelsen continued.
Last year, the company launched its first products made from sugar cane.
Its overall target is for all products, including packaging, to be made from sustainable plastic by 2030.
The results of the Aarhus University study were published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
READ ALSO: Lego stacks up profits after building away from bricks
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A new type of sustainable plastic was shown in tests to be just as durable as the traditional material used to make the iconic toy.
“Lego bricks have proved they can last a very long time, and our view is that new bricks made from new, sustainable and green materials can last for just as long,” chemical engineer and Aarhus University PhD student Emil Andersen said via a press statement.
Lego has invested one billion kroner in research aimed at developing new plastics.
The company’s mandatory criteria for the research is that new products must be just as durable as traditional Lego materials.
That means staying in shape over years of punishment through play, exposure to water, and being trodden on by unsuspecting feet.
Lego has therefore asked researchers from Aarhus University to present possible alternative materials.
“For over 60 years, we have used the plastic that we still use today in most of our Lego products,” the company’s project manager René Mikkelsen said.
“We know it works and we know it lasts, but we want to be even better at analysing the durability of our products,” Mikkelsen continued.
Last year, the company launched its first products made from sugar cane.
Its overall target is for all products, including packaging, to be made from sustainable plastic by 2030.
The results of the Aarhus University study were published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
READ ALSO: Lego stacks up profits after building away from bricks
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