Earlier this year, it was reported that LEGO would be focusing its research and development initiatives on introducing a line of sustainable plant-based bricks. While its been a few months since we’ve heard anything on the matter, it looks like LEGO’s projection that the first of these pieces becoming available sometime this year turned out to be spot on. Today, we’re getting a look at the first kit putting the sustainable elements to use.
In what may be the perfect introduction set for the series of sustainable bricks, LEGO will be debuting the new pieces in a miniature Plants from Plants kit that includes an assortment of different plants, grass and greenery. The set contains 29 pieces and will be available later this year.
The new sustainable LEGO elements are currently in production and are made from a plastic based around sugarcane rather than the typical ABS plastic used today. And if you’re into the technical details, take LEGO’s word for the new production process:
The new sustainable LEGO elements are made from polyethylene, which is a soft, durable and flexible plastic, and while they are based on sugar-cane material, they are technically identical to those produced using conventional plastic. 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.
In practice, this effectively means that you shouldn’t even notice a change in your beloved plastic bricks. When the news was first announced, one of the big concerns was that the new plant-based elements would wear down more quickly than your average LEGO brick. But thanks to their manufacturing process, it appears as though the new pieces will be indistinguishable from the old.
The upcoming sustainable plant set will be available as a promotional item due out in August. Similarly to other freebie kits that LEGO gives out, you’ll need to spend $35 or more to lock in the sustainable elements.
The promotion looks to be a way for LEGO to test out its manufacturing capabilities ahead of any major demand for the pieces. So while we are in fact getting our first sustainable kit, it’ll be some time before LEGO ramps up its output enough to meet the demand of your average set. But with a goal of transitioning the entirety of kits to the new plastic by 2030, LEGO is well on its way towards building a greener future, even if it is brick by brick.
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