Lego Makes Bricks with Recycled Plastic

Lego announced they have made its famous bricks from recycled plastic bottles. The company hopes to include the pieces in its sets within two years, The Guardian reports.

Lego makes a billion bricks every year made from plastic. The special design and material make the bricks grip together. The prototype recycled bricks are made from PET plastic from discarded bottles.

Tim Brooks, vice-president for environmental responsibility at Lego Group, discussed the challenges of “rethinking and innovating new materials that are as durable, strong and high quality as our existing bricks – and fit with Lego elements made over the past 60 years. We’re committed to playing our part in building a sustainable future for generations of children. We want our products to have a positive impact on the planet, not just with the play they inspire, but also with the materials we use. We still have a long way to go on our journey, but are pleased with the progress we’re making.”

The company spent three years developing the new lego and used 250 variations of materials to get it just right. Environmental activists warned that recycled plastics should not be the default option for companies looking for material changes.

Camilla Zerr, plastics campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said in The Guardian: “Children deserve to grow up in a world free of pointless plastic Pollution, so initiatives where toys can be made using recycled plastics are promising, and others in the industry should follow suit. “But it’s really important that recycling isn’t hailed as the default solution to the plastics crisis. Manufacturers must ensure toys are made to endure many years of use, so they can be handed down and reused from generation to generation.”

Sign this petition to demand that Biden and Congress work together to save our oceans, our marine animals, and our Earth by banning single-use plastics throughout the entire United States!

To learn more about the impact of plastic waste, please read the articles below: 

• Marine Animals that are Dying because of our Plastic Habit
• Where Plastic Really Goes When You Throw it Out
• 5 Documentaries to make you Rethink Single-Use Plastics
• 6 Million Tons of Single-Use Plastics Get Thrown Out Every Year!
• America’s Largest Waste Management Company has Stopped Exporting Plastic Waste Overseas
• Landmark Bill, Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020, Aiming to Control Plastic Crisis Hits Congress
• John Oliver Takes on Plastic Pollution
• Why Your Recycling Isn’t Necessarily Being Recycled and How You Can Make a Difference!
• From Marine Animal Extinction to Ocean Pollutants: Everything You Need to Know About Plastic Pollution
• Microplastic Pollution in Soil is Threatening Human Health and Soil-Dwelling Organisms
• Plastic Pollution #1 Killer Of Marine Wildlife According To Research
• 10 Heartbreaking Videos of Sea Animals Harmed by Plastic Pollution
• Why We Need to Wake Up and Do Something to Tackle Plastic Pollution in the Oceans

There are products you may be using or habits you may have that contribute to plastic Pollution. Learn more about how the use of Teabags, Cotton Swabs, Laundry, Contact Lenses, Glitter and Sheet Masks pollute our oceans so you can make more informed decisions going forward. There are also numerous simple actionsand switches that can help cut plastic out of our lives including, making your own cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, household cleaners, using mason jars, reusable bags/bottles/straws, and avoiding microbeads!

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