If you buy a Lego set today, the toy bricks come packed in tiny numbered plastic bags. Every year, the toy manufacturer uses hundreds of millions of those bags. But the company is starting to phase out single-use plastic, with the goal of making its packaging sustainable by 2025—and those bags are a big part of it. Next year, it will begin rolling out an alternative, with bricks packed in Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper instead.
The company tested new packaging options extensively, searching for something that would be sustainable but also strong enough to hold Lego bricks, easy to pack in boxes, and something that children liked to use. “We tested about 15 different prototypes with hundreds of children and parents but explored many more, including those made from recycled plastic and even paper made from stone,” Brooks says. “The prototypes varied in shape, material, and graphic design. As we start trialing the paper bags in Lego boxes in 2021, people will see both white and brown paper bags as we learn more about which is the best possible material from a functional perspective, and which design provides the best play experience for children.” The new bags will gradually roll out over the next five years as the company continues to test the new design.
