Single use plastic retail bags to be phased out of LEGO® Stores in 2020

As part of the LEGO Group’s ambition to use 100% sustainable materials in its packaging, the company is replacing single-use plastic retail bags with ones made from sustainably sourced paper.

[Billund, November 2019] The LEGO Group announced today that it will phase out plastic retail bags in all LEGO® Stores globally in 2020. The move, which is part of the LEGO Group’s ambition to use 100% sustainable materials in its packaging by 2025, will see all plastic retail bags replaced with ones made from sustainably sourced paper across the fleet of more than 500 stores.

The new paper bags will be introduced in stores once they have used up existing stocks of plastic retail bags to ensure no unnecessary waste is generated. The paper bags are made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified paper and are fully recyclable.

The LEGO Group’s sustainable packaging ambition focuses on finding sustainable packaging alternatives by 2025 that are:

  • Renewable: 100% of LEGO boxes, bags, and special packaging are to be made from recycled or sustainably sourced renewable or recycled materials
  • Efficient: ongoingly exploring ways to optimise packaging, balancing consumer appeal with environmental action
  • Recyclable: designing packaging that can be recycled by consumers

So far, the LEGO Group has taken several steps to improve the sustainability of its packaging:

  • In 2018, the company began using recycled plastic in packaging ‘blisters’ - the transparent plastic windows which allow consumers to have a sneak peek into some LEGO boxes
  • In 2018, LEGO boxes in the US and Canada started to feature the How2Recycle® label promoting packaging recycling and providing US and Canadian consumers with clear guidance on how to responsibly recycle their LEGO packaging
  • In 2017, plastic trays used in Advent Calendars were replaced with recyclable paper-pulp trays, saving up to 1 million plastic trays from going to landfill
  • Approximately 75% of cardboard used to make LEGO boxes comes from recycled material
  • The average size of a LEGO box has been reduced by 14% over the past five years, improving transport efficiency, saving on average every year over 3,000 truckloads and 7,000 tonnes of cardboard
  • All paper and cardboard used in LEGO products and product packaging is recyclable, sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
  • Today, over 90% of the packaging for LEGO sets, by weight, is cardboard or paper-based which is recyclable, sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council

The LEGO Group believes a new sustainable material must have an ever-lighter footprint than the material it replaces across key environmental and social impact areas such as fossil resource use, human rights and climate change.

About sustainability at the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group strives to make a positive impact on society and the planet, which our children will inherit, and it is this focus on future generations that drives our work. We believe we have a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of our operations and have set an ambitious target of using sustainable materials in packaging by 2025, and in materials by 2030. The LEGO Group also partners with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), as part of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in manufacturing and supply chain operations and promote global action on climate change.

Through investments in wind and solar power, the energy used to make LEGO bricks is balanced by the production of renewable energy.
For more information visit: www.LEGO.com/AboutUs/Responsibility

Mock-up image of new LEGO retail paper bag