The Lego toy maker decided Monday to abandon its plan to reuse plastic from water bottles for its famous interlocking pieces after realizing that approach would ultimately be more harmful to the environment.
“We have decided not to move forward with the production of bricks [polyéthylène téréphtalate recyclé] “(PET) was recycled after more than three years of testing because we determined the material did not reduce carbon emissions,” a company spokesperson announced Monday, according to CNN.
The Lego Group’s plan, which two years ago presented a prototype made of bricks made from recycled plastic from bottles, would have failed after the company realized that it would be more polluting overall. “Invest in new equipment – which requires more steps.” – rather than sticking with the current formula.
According to the spokesperson, the recycled material was not as durable and safe as the petroleum-based brick formula currently used.
However, according to CNN, the company will remain “fully committed to making Lego bricks from sustainable materials by 2032” to reduce its carbon emissions by 37% and will look for other alternatives to make its toys less harmful to the environment.
According to the spokesperson, this route was just one of hundreds of materials the company had tested.