More sustainable packaging

We’re introducing recyclable packaging across all areas of our business, from our core products to licensed products made by our partners. At present, 93% of our packaging by weight is made from paper, cardboard and other paper-based materials. We are replacing single-use plastic with paper-based bags in all our LEGO® sets and we are working hard to make this transition across all our factories.

a table filled with LEGO bricks and paper-based bags, childrens hands playing with the items

Solving the challenge

Packing LEGO bricks into paper-based bags might sound simple but the reality is more complex. We tested around 70 different papers and formats to find the right solution. We had to find a bag that would not compromise the high standards LEGO fans expect from us. It had to withstand the manufacturing process and not tear or damage on the way from the LEGO factory to LEGO builders. Paper is more sensitive than plastic to changes in humidity so it was important to find a material that can be made and used in all our factories, whether in a hot, humid climate or a colder one.

A mother and a son looking into a paper-based bag from a LEGO set

Playful unpacking experience

We tested about 15 different prototypes with hundreds of kids and parents, trying various shapes, materials and graphic designs. Paper has the unintended benefit of being more enjoyable to unwrap, because while clear, single-use plastic bags allow builders to see the contents, we discovered in testing that kids enjoyed the suspense of opening the paper-based bags! Our larger paper-based bags come in a shape that enables them to stand, which is particularly useful for storing loose bricks during the building process.

A blue LEGO heart

Responsibly sourced materials

Our packaging is designed to provide the best experience when unpacking LEGO sets; for example by providing information and protecting the LEGO set inside, so no bricks go missing.

It’s our aim that all our packaging will be made from responsibly sourced materials that are either renewable or made from recycled content and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C117818). And naturally, our packaging promotes recycling and we provided guidance on how to do it.

Improvements in our packaging

  • A LEGO Classic set

    LEGO® boxes

    Made from responsibly sourced materials.

  • Paper-based LEGO pre-pack bags

    Paper-based bags in LEGO boxes

    We are in the process of switching from single-use plastic to paper-based bags.

  • LEGO baseplate in a paper-based bag

    LEGO baseplate packaging

    We are using paper-based packaging for our LEGO baseplates, which used to be wrapped in single-use plastic.

Improvements in our retail packaging

  • LEGO shopping bag made of paper

    Shopping bags

    We began phasing out single-use plastic retail bags in our LEGO stores globally in 2020.

  • Two small paper-based boxes with LEGO icons on top

    LEGO Pick a Brick

    Replaced plastic cups with flat-pack paper based containers.

  • A paper-based box with LEGO icons on top

    LEGO Build a Minifigure

    Switched from single-use plastic to recyclable cardboard boxes.

A LEGO minifigure holding a garbage bag

Discover how LEGO packaging can be recycled

Including boxes and bags