Few companies are as universally loved—or as deeply plastic—as LEGO. With over 100 billion bricks in circulation, the Danish toy giant has built a global brand on durability, creativity, and childhood nostalgia. But now, in the face of climate change and rising environmental expectations, LEGO is undertaking one of the boldest corporate sustainability transformations of the decade—backed by a $1.4 billion investment through 2025.

This isn’t just about ticking ESG boxes. LEGO’s transformation is about reshaping a legacy business to serve the next generation—through climate-conscious design, circular thinking, transparent leadership, and reimagined materials. And it’s doing all this while staying true to the core of its brand: building things that last, inspire, and bring joy.

From Plastic to Paper: Redesigning the Box

One of LEGO’s most immediate and visible changes is its shift away from single-use plastic packaging. In 2023, LEGO began rolling out paper-based “pre-pack” bags inside its boxes, replacing the plastic bags that have long held the smaller brick components. The bags are made from FSC-certified paper and designed to be easily recyclable across key markets.

What seems like a small detail took years to perfect. LEGO tested more than 180 different paper prototypes to find one that could hold up during manufacturing, shipping, and excited unboxing by children. As of 2024, 93% of LEGO’s packaging by weight is paper-based, with a clear target of reaching 95% by 2025. The company’s collectible Minifigures also now come in cardboard boxes, eliminating 30 tonnes of plastic each year.

This packaging transformation marks a clear first step in LEGO’s bigger vision: to phase out all single-use plastic in its packaging while improving recyclability and reducing overall waste. It’s not just a supply chain adjustment—it’s a cultural signal that change starts at the surface.

“We tested over 180 paper prototypes. It took three years and a team of hundreds to find a version that wouldn’t tear in production or transit.”
– Tim Brooks, VP of Environmental Responsibility

Reinventing the Brick: Progress, Setbacks, and Lessons

While packaging changes are already in consumers’ hands, LEGO’s most ambitious work is still underway: reinventing the LEGO brick itself. The iconic bricks are made from ABS plastic, a fossil fuel-derived material known for its durability and precision. Changing this isn’t easy. A brick made today still needs to connect perfectly with one from 1975—that’s not just good design, it’s a promise LEGO has always kept.In 2015, LEGO opened its Sustainable Materials Centre and began investing heavily in R&D to find a new material that could match ABS in strength, safety, and longevity—but with a far smaller footprint.

One highly publicized trial involved using recycled PET from discarded plastic bottles. A promising prototype was unveiled in 2021, but after two years of testing, LEGO made the difficult decision to abandon it.The reason? The rPET brick needed additional processing, chemical additives, and drying stages, all of which increased energy use. The final verdict was clear: it didn’t actually reduce LEGO’s carbon footprint, and worse, it introduced quality trade-offs.

“It’s like trying to make a bike out of wood instead of steel. Some things will work, others won’t. What matters is that we’re learning fast.”– Tim Brooks

Rather than force a half-measure, LEGO did something unusual in corporate circles: it publicly walked away from the innovation. This willingness to admit failure—transparently and without greenwashing—earned LEGO credibility. The company has now focused on refining its use of bio-based and chemically recycled plastics using a mass-balance approach, integrating renewable feedstocks like plant oil and waste cooking oil into its production chain.

In 2024, LEGO announced a major milestone: 33% of its resin volume was sourced from renewable or recycled materials, up from just 12% the year before. Its new target is to reach 100% by 2032, a realistic timeline given the technical constraints and performance requirements of its product.

Making Play Circular: Keeping Bricks in Use

While rethinking materials is a long-term process, LEGO has already made big moves in circularity—starting with LEGO Replay. Launched in 2019, this take-back program lets families donate their used LEGO bricks, which are then sorted, cleaned, and donated to children in underserved communities. So far, over 300 million bricks have been collected and reused through the program.In 2024, LEGO expanded Replay to the UK and introduced pilot programs to repurpose damaged bricks into items like school storage containers.

What’s striking is that Replay doesn’t try to replace the brick. It works with what already exists—recognizing the enormous environmental benefit of extending the useful life of high-quality products.94% of UK LEGO users already pass down or resell their bricks. Replay formalizes this behavior and ensures it scales equitably. It’s also one of the most tangible ways LEGO is embedding circular thinking into its culture.

“We want to rehome, repurpose, or recycle every LEGO brick. Our products are built to last—we just want to make sure they’re used again and again.”
– Tim Brooks

Decarbonizing the Core: Energy, Water, and Facilities

LEGO’s operational footprint is also undergoing rapid change. The company has committed to reducing its absolute carbon emissions by 37% by 2032, in line with science-based targets validated by SBTi. But even as it grows, LEGO is trying to do more with less.Its factories in Hungary, Mexico, and China now feature geothermal energy systems, waste heat recovery, and advanced water recycling systems.

In 2024, LEGO added 22 megawatts of solar capacity to its facilities—bringing the total to 43% more than the previous year. Two new factories, in Virginia and Vietnam, are being built to run entirely on renewable energy.Water savings are also significant. In Mexico, LEGO is saving more than 85,000 cubic meters of water annually by capturing and reusing rainwater and treated wastewater. In Denmark, it’s building a dedicated solar park to power all its local operations.These aren’t side projects—they’re central to LEGO’s vision of decoupling growth from emissions.

Scope 3: LEGO’s Biggest Carbon Problem

While factory efficiency is important, LEGO knows its largest environmental impact lies in Scope 3 emissions—upstream in its supply chain and materials sourcing. In fact, over 99% of LEGO’s total emissions fall into this category. That’s where the challenge becomes systemic.In 2024, LEGO launched a Supplier Sustainability Program to bring its ecosystem along.

The initiative requires major vendors to disclose their emissions data, commit to reduction targets, and align with LEGO’s climate goals. By mid-year, 52 of LEGO’s top suppliers had joined the program.This upstream accountability is critical. Without it, LEGO cannot meet its net zero ambitions. But with it, the company becomes a catalyst for change across a much larger industrial landscape.

“We can’t achieve net zero alone. We need every partner in our value chain to move with us.”
– Niels B. Christiansen, CEO

Sustainability as a Shared Responsibility

LEGO has done something few companies dare to do: tie climate performance to employee compensation. Starting in 2024, a portion of staff bonuses—from factory floor to executive suite—is linked to meeting annual emissions targets, particularly carbon intensity per brick produced.This decision sends a clear message: sustainability is everyone’s job.

It reinforces the idea that innovation, cost efficiency, and environmental responsibility are not separate functions—they’re deeply connected.Internally, this approach has also created a culture where teams actively search for efficiency gains, waste reductions, and renewable integration opportunities. It’s not just about corporate goals—it’s about team pride.

Owning Imperfection, Leading with Transparency

Despite all this progress, LEGO’s emissions actually increased in 2023—from 1.6 million to 1.8 million tonnes of CO₂e. The growth was tied to increased production, equipment upgrades, and new factory development.Instead of spinning the narrative, LEGO published the figures, explained the reasoning, and reiterated its long-term commitments.

It acknowledged that building infrastructure for the future sometimes results in short-term setbacks—and that trust is built by telling the whole story.This transparency is rare, and it’s earned the company praise from sustainability analysts and civil society alike.

“LEGO is one of the few companies that treats sustainability as a core business issue—not a PR strategy. They invest, they report transparently, and they aren’t afraid to admit failure.”
– Professor Paolo Taticchi, University College London

For the Kids Who Are Paying Attention

At the heart of LEGO’s strategy is a simple truth: children care. The company receives hundreds of letters each year from kids asking it to reduce plastic use, go green, and help protect the planet. Those voices resonate internally—because they are the very people LEGO exists to serve.For a brand built around imagination, this shift feels natural. LEGO isn’t just investing in new materials or smarter factories. It’s investing in a future that young people can believe in—and helping to build it with their own hands.

“Kids don’t want vague promises. They want to see real action.”
– Tim Brooks

What LEGO Is Building Now

LEGO’s $1.4 billion transformation isn’t just about sustainability. It’s a long-term business decision rooted in trust, science, and moral clarity. The company is proving that even a brand built on plastic can evolve—and that responsibility and creativity are not opposites.

The coming years will be critical. Challenges remain, from decarbonizing materials to managing growth responsibly. But LEGO’s willingness to try, fail, learn, and scale sets it apart. It’s no longer just a toy company. It’s a blueprint for how legacy brands can show up differently in the face of global crisis.And ultimately, it’s not just about the product.

“It’s about more than just changing the brick. It’s about building a better world for the next generation—brick by brick.”
– Tim Brooks

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