Environment

We strive to have a positive impact on society and the planet, which our children will inherit, and it is this focus on future generations that drives our work. We believe we have a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of our operations.

Our sustainable materials ambition

Our ambition is to make LEGO bricks from sustainable sources by 2030 without compromising quality or safety, This means we need to invent entirely new materials. A sustainable material must be responsibly produced, using renewable or recycled resources, generating little or no waste, use sustainable chemistry and be fully recyclable at the end of its life. All this, while meeting our high standards for safety, quality and durability.

A small LEGO critter inside a pack with the plastic blister

Sustainable packaging

LEGO bricks are usually reused, passed on and handed down, but LEGO boxes and other packaging are often disposed of quickly. Some of our packaging contains single-use plastic which isn’t sustainable, or in some cases recyclable, so we’re taking urgent action to make all our packaging sustainable by 2025.

A tree and two LEGO critters holding a paper bag

Playing with paper packaging

As a next step, on our journey towards a 100% sustainable packaging, we will begin to phase out single-use plastic bags, used in LEGO boxes, to package the loose bricks. Several prototypes made from a range of different sustainable materials have so far been tested with hundreds of parents and children. From 2021, recyclable paper bags, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®C117818) will be trialed in boxes. If successful the new bags will be phased in over a four-year period, from 2021.

During 2020, we also phased out plastic carry bags in our LEGO® retail stores and replaced them with bags made from sustainably sourced paper.

Circularity inspires us

The LEGO System in Play supports the principles of circular design – a product made of quality materials that can be used and reused – and the quality, durability, safety and consistency of LEGO bricks means they’re often reused, handed down or passed on.

In 2020, we became a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation network as part of our efforts to design more ‘circular’ products and packaging and explore new business models. As a part of this partnership we hosted a webinar to inspire teenagers on circular economy.

a box with a sticker on top that says LEGO Replay

Since the launch of LEGO® Replay in August 2019

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(119,000 kg) of LEGO bricks have been donated as part of the program, reaching over 54,000 children in need of play. After a successful trial in the US where 30,000 families from every state donated more than 100 tons of bricks for reuse, we expanded the LEGO Replay programme into Canada in September 2020.

Reducing our CO2 impact

We continue to be 100% balanced by renewable energy, due to investments in offshore wind by our parent company KIRKBI A/S and investments in onsite renewable energy by the LEGO Group. We define ‘balanced by renewable energy’ as: energy generated from renewable sources, either on- or offsite, as being equal to, or more than the energy we use at our locations. We purchase and retire all available Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from our renewable energy investments and supplement these with accredited RECs when those investments are not available.

LEGO critter sun shining on a solarpannel

Total carbon emissions

We strive to reduce the CO2 impact from making, transporting and selling LEGO products. Our total carbon emissions, including those produced by our supply chain, was 1.15 million tonnes of CO2 (CO2e) in 2019. The total CO2 number for 2020 will be available in Q3, 2021.

Science Based Target

In December 2020, we were the first large toy company to announce a Science Based Target, which commits us to reduce our absolute carbon emissions by 37% by 2032. This covers emissions from our own operations which equates to roughly 10% of total emissions and includes energy use in our owned and operated stores, our factories, offices, and from our supply chain which equates to almost 90% of emissions including areas such as raw materials and distribution. The target has been approved by the Science Based Target initiative as consistent with levels required to keep global warming to below 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

LEGO critters standing next to a big zero

Zero waste to landfill

We are aiming for zero waste, which means that no waste from any LEGO factory, office or owned and operated store will be landfilled by 2025. We will also remove single-use plastic in our operations by the end of 2022. We currently recycle 91% of all waste, including 100% of the plastic waste from our moulding machines. In 2020, 381 tons of waste went to landfill.

Our journey towards our environmental sustainability goals

Our ambitions within sustainable materials are bold and require the invention of entirely new materials! We are on the journey towards our 2030 goal and making progress along the way on all our environmental sustainability ambitions; materials, packaging, carbon efficiency and zero waste, by joining forces with children, our employees, experts and NGOs.

Unfold the timeline below to review our journey.

2012 - Shared our ambition

To find and implement sustainable alternatives to the materials used to make LEGO® products by 2030.

2014 - Partnered with WWF

As part of the Climate Savers Programme, WWF’s global platform that engages business and industry on climate and energy.

Engage-to-Reduce

Launched ‘Engage-to-Reduce’ programme to guide and support our suppliers to reduce their CO2 footprint.

2015 - Invested in research

DKK 1 billion dedicated to developing and implementing new, sustainable materials for LEGO® elements and packaging.

Borkum Riffgrund 1

Celebrated the inauguration of Borkum Riffgrund 1 Offshore Wind Farm in Germany.

Reduced box sizes

By 14% – improving transport efficiency and saving over 3,000 truckloads and 7,000 tonnes of cardboard a year.

2016 - Burbo Bank Extension

The first wind turbines at the Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm delivered their power into the UK electricity grid.

2107 - Used paper-pulp trays

In advent calendars, saving up to 1 million plastic trays from going to landfill.

Paper pulp trays inside a LEGO advent calendar

100% balanced by renewable energy

Thanks to investments in offshore wind farms in Germany and the UK by our parent company KIRKBI A/S.

a little car being pulled by a wind turbine

2018 - Accelerated change

By bringing forward our sustainable packaging ambitions from 2030 to 2025 and committed to remove all single-use plastic by 2025.

New recycled plastic ‘blisters’

We began using recycled plastic in the transparent plastic windows that offer a sneak peek inside a LEGO® box (although these will eventually be phased out altogether).

A LEGO critter standing inside a plastic pack

Energy efficient lighting

Fitting over 19,000 LED bulbs in our Mexico factory, saving 1,300+ tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

Two LEGO critters standing around a light bulb

Plants from Plants

Launched the first bio-based LEGO® elements, a collection of botanical elements, including trees, leaves and bushes, from plant-based polyethylene using sustainably sourced sugarcane.

Solar panels

Installed a roof-based renewable energy system at our Kladno factory in Czech Republic, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 500 tonnes a year.

Promoted recycling

By featuring the How2Recycle® label on LEGO boxes in the US and Canada.

2019 - New cooling system

At our Danish factory, pulling in outside air to cool the production process, minimizing the need for refrigerants and reducing energy by 538,000+ kWh.

LEGO® Ideas Treehouse

Since the launch of the bio-based bricks, they have been included in more and more LEGO® sets. For example the LEGO® Ideas Treehouse, that included 185 bio-based elements.

New LEGO® Campus

Used stronger plasterboard, saving 22,000 kg of steel and 353,000 kg of CO2 emissions, and 4,000 solar panels to produce more than 1m kWh of energy a year.

LEGO critter construction worker standing next to a building

Piloted LEGO® Replay

In the US – accepting previously used LEGO® bricks and donating them to children’s non-profit organizations, helping families to share the power of play with children who need it most.

Bye bye plastic carry bags

Phased out plastic carry bags in our LEGO® retail stores and replaced them with bags made from sustainably sourced paper.

2020 - LEGO® Replay in Canada

Expanded LEGO® Replay into Canada after a successful year-long pilot run in the US. The program offer families a simple way to donate their pre-loved LEGO® bricks to children’s non-profits.

LEGO critter putting bricks in a box and another critter jumping out of the box

Focus on circularity

Joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The shared ambition for the membership is to help build a better planet for future generations by driving the global transition towards a circular society.

LEGO critters sitting on a infinity sign

US$400 million investment in sustainability efforts

Announced our plans to invest up to US$400 million over three years to accelerate our environmental and social responsibility initiatives.

year 2022 written with a LEGO critter in the middle

Replacing single-use plastic bags

From 2021, recyclable paper bags, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®C117818) will be trialled in boxes, if successful the new bags will be phased in over a four-year period, from 2021.

Two LEGO critters standing with LEGO paper bags

5th year of leadership level CDP Climate Change Rating

Achieved an A- leadership status for this year’s CDP Climate Change questionnaire. It recognizes our actions in cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks, and developing the low-carbon economy.

Science Based Targets

Announced our commitment to reduce our absolute carbon emissions by 37% across our entire value chain by 2032. The target has been approved by the Science Based Target initiative.