Lego to shift into paper packaging in 2021

Lego will start ditching its plastic packaging starting 2021 after receiving letters from children asking them to do away with single-use plastics. The toy brick maker said they are aiming to become more sustainable and will be replacing their plastic packaging with paper bags.

Although Lego bricks are in themselves made of plastic, the company is now looking into alternative materials in an effort to improve their mission on sustainability. The company is also planning to invest about £310 million in a period of three years to slowly transition into their sustainability goals.

Lego Group chief executive Niels B. Christiansen said:

"We have received many letters from children about the environment asking us to remove single-use plastic packaging."

"We have been exploring alternatives for some time and the passion and ideas from children inspired us to begin to make the change," he added.

Beginning next year, the toy company is set to introduce these recyclable paper bag packaging for their loose bricks. To ensure they are following strict standards, the said paper packaging will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company's ambition is geared at shifting to fully sustainable products by the end of 2025, the BBC reports.

As retail companies continue to deal with pressure in reducing their use of plastic in their products and packaging, the question remains on whether alternatives could leave more carbon footprints in its production, transport and recycling processes.

Lego envisions its investments on ventures such as educational programmes that could render sustainability in all other areas of its business. The Danish toy company also pledged to expand into bio-bricks that use sugar cane as its main component for its signature brick sets.

Lego has seen an increase in sales and profits in the first half of 2020. The company has seen this trend placing their bets on consumers who seem to have delved into their block building skills during the lockdown. Customers were said to be purchasing bigger and more complicated Lego sets to keep themselves preoccupied at home.

Lego is in the works of opening about 120 stores around the world despite the global pandemic which has caused a lot of brick-and-mortar shops to close down their businesses.