Recycling

A LEGO minifigure holding a garbage bag

Much of our packaging is now primarily made from paper and cardboard, which are more likely to be recycled than other materials. But some of our packaging still contains single-use plastic, which isn’t as sustainable. That’s why we are introducing recyclable packaging across all areas of our business, from our core products to licensed products produced by our partners. Any new packaging we develop gets tested extensively by ourselves and independent laboratories to confirm its recyclability before we use it.

We encourage recycling and provide consumers with guidance on how to responsibly dispose of their LEGO® packaging. The rules for how to recycle vary between countries, regions and municipalities, so we encourage people to check with their local authorities on how to correctly dispose of our recyclable packaging.

An icon of a LEGO box

LEGO® boxes

Our LEGO boxes are made of cardboard (corrugated fiberboard PAP 20 or non-corrugated fiberboard PAP 21) from responsibly sourced materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C117818). They can be recycled where infrastructure and access to paper and cardboard recycling exist.

A picture of identification codes on boxes showing how to recycle

Multiple identification codes

In some cases, a LEGO box might feature material identification codes for corrugated fiberboard (PAP 20), non-corrugated fiberboard (PAP 21) and paper (PAP 22). In these cases, the LEGO box is made of corrugated fiberboard, but there will be one or more smaller boxes made from non-corrugated fiberboard and/or paper-based bags inside. This is indicated by triangular symbols with chasing arrows.

Icon of a LEGO paper-based bag

Bags in LEGO boxes

We’re in the process of switching from single-use plastic to paper-based bags. While our boxes currently still feature bags made from polypropylene (PP) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE), we will gradually be replacing them with bags made from over 95% paper. These bags will contain a thin plastic coating on the inside that enables sealing of the bags and ensures that they are fit-for-purpose to hold LEGO bricks.

Our new paper-based bags are made with paper from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests and FSC-controlled wood and have been verified as recyclable in the European Union, the United States and Canada. We encourage people to check with their local authorities for how to correctly dispose of our paper-based bags.

An icon of a LEGO baseplate

LEGO baseplate packaging

Since 2022, we have been using paper-based packaging for our LEGO baseplates, which used to be wrapped in single-use plastic. The packaging is made from paper with a thin plastic coating on the inside, which enables sealing of the packaging and helps protect the product.

A logo that says how to recycle

LEGO boxes in the US and Canada feature the How2Recycle® label. This promotes packaging recycling and provides US and Canadian consumers with clear guidance to responsibly dispose of or recycle their LEGO packaging.

An icon of a battery

Electronic products and batteries

These should be sorted and disposed of separately from other types of waste, which is a requirement by EU legislation. National or local schemes are in place for disposal and collection of electronic products. Separation of different material types is important for facilitating recycling and recovery. We encourage you to contact your local municipality for advice on sorting rules.

LEGO paper-based bags on a table together with bricks, children’s hands playing with them

Sustainable packaging

We will switch to recyclable packaging across all areas of our business.