Lego considers brick rental in effort to curb plastic waste

LEGO is considering a brick rental scheme in an attempt to cut down on plastic waste.

The Danish toymaker has promised to make all bricks from sustainable sources by 2030 and is ploughing resources into finding alternatives.

Tim Brooks, vice-president responsible for sustainability, said the company was “totally open” to the idea of a rental scheme but acknowledged that lost pieces could pose a problem.

He told a Financial Times manufacturing conference: “It has to come down to the value proposition. We have to start at the point that says what is in it for the consumer. That is what we are just unpicking at moment.”

He said the rental scheme was “possible” but admitted there were some “technical barriers”, one of which is the complexity of some Lego kits, many of which contain thousands of pieces.

Mr Brooks said Lego was exploring several ideas, with a view to producing the highest value from products while consuming the least amount of resources. He said many would “probably never see the light of day” and there were no current plans to trial a rental scheme.

Lego has come under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint amid growing international alarm about the impact of plastic waste.

It manufactures 19billion pieces per year – 36,000 a minute – that are made solely of plastic, while much of the internal packaging is also plastic.

More than 400 billion Lego bricks have been produced since 1958, it is believed, and reports say there are about 62 bricks for every person on Earth.

So far, the sole breakthrough has been the development of a line of bricks made from plant-based plastic sourced from sugar cane. The green trees, plants and flowers were first included in Lego sets late last year but comprise only one to two per cent of the total amount of elements produced.

Lego reportedly emits around a million tons of carbon dioxide each year, with about three quarters coming from raw materials that go into factories.

The company has invested more than £100million and hired 100 people to research non-plastic alternatives.