Plants from plants
The first LEGO® plants made from plants have arrived! The LEGO Group has released new botanical elements -including trees, leaves and bushes- made from a plastic produced using sustainably sourced sugarcane. The new elements represent the first big step towards the LEGO Group’s ambitions of using sustainable materials in all core products and packaging by 2030.
To celebrate this important milestone the LEGO Group invited millions of builders around the world to join in our celebrations by building their own sustainable superheroes and joining Plantus Maximus on the mission to protect the planet.
Celebrating sustainability and creativity
During August the LEGO Group held creative building challenges in our New York, and Berlin LEGO Brand Retail stores, as well as a special event in London at the Natural History Museum. Building challenges were also held online at LEGO.com and LEGO Life. LEGO builders were invited to combine the botanical elements with LEGO bricks they have at home, build their own sustainable superheroes and share these online at LEGO.com/plantsfromplants.
High quality and durability
The elements are compatible with the first ever LEGO bricks made 60 years ago and are an example of the LEGO Group’s continued commitment to innovation while staying true to the quality, play experience and durability that is at the heart of the LEGO system. The plastic used to make the elements is polyethylene, a soft, durable and flexible plastic made from sustainably sourced sugarcane, a renewable material that grows at the same rate or faster than we use it. The sustainable sourcing follows guidance from the WWF's Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) and adheres to the Bonsucro Chain of Custody standard, a third party certified global standard.
The new elements are made up of 98% plant-based materials. This has been verified by a third-party test. The elements are technically identical to existing LEGO botanical elements and have been tested to ensure the sustainably sourced plant-based plastic meets the high standards for quality and safety that the LEGO Group has, and consumers expect from LEGO products.
Q: What are plants made based on plants?
A: Plants made based on plants are the first LEGO elements including trees, leaves and bushes made from a plastic produced using sustainably sourced sugarcane. The new elements represent the first big step towards the LEGO Group’s ambitions of using sustainable materials in all core products and packaging by 2030.
Q: Is plant-based plastic biodegradable?
A: No. As the LEGO Group wants our products to be durable and bring play value to generations, the plant-based plastic the LEGO Group is using is not biodegradable. Therefore, we have chosen to focus on using plant-based plastic which is durable and reusable.
Q: Will I have to pay more for LEGO elements made using sustainable materials?
A: There are many factors which determine a set's price, for example, the number of LEGO bricks from a box. Specifically related to the plant-based polyethylene elements being introduced in 2018, these will have no effect on a set’s price.
Q: You say that the elements are sustainable, what does that mean?
A: The new elements are made up of 98% plant-based materials. This has been verified by a third-party test. The sugarcane used to make the plastic grows at the same rate or faster than we use it and is sourced sustainably with guidance from our partner WWF and adheres to the Bonsucro Chain of Custody standard, a third party certified global standard.
Q: Is this plant-based plastic a lower quality than existing LEGO elements?
A: The elements have been tested to ensure the plant-based plastic meets the high standards for quality and safety that the LEGO Group has, and consumers expect from LEGO products.
Q: How can I tell the difference between these new elements and my old LEGO pieces?
A: The new plant-based elements are technically identical to those produced using conventional plastic. You can’t tell the difference by look or feel, only a carbon-14 test will demonstrate the difference between plant-based elements and conventional elements.