Children inspire change as Lego ditches plastic bags for paper ones

Lego says it will stop using plastic bags inside its boxed sets and replace them with paper ones.

The Danish toy maker will start making the switch next year and expects plastic bags to be completely phased out in the next five years. The bags are used to hold loose bricks in boxed sets.

Lego, as well as other big brands, have been looking for ways to cut plastic use in order to please customers increasingly worried about how their purchases impact the environment.

Monopoly maker Hasbro, for example, has also announced plans to eliminate plastics in its packaging.

We will begin testing paper bags in our boxes, that can go in the recycling bin when you’re done playing ♻️ #RebuildTheWorld

Recycling is just one aspect of LEGO Sustainability, discover more here: https://t.co/Om0lWe6vAR pic.twitter.com/nkT38WjSQI

— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) September 15, 2020

Among the environmental issues posed by plastic is that it does not disintegrate. Instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces that can be eaten by birds or other wildlife, endangering their health.

Lego’s colourful bricks are also made of plastic, but the company has had trouble finding another material that is as durable.

About two per cent of its pieces, such as Lego trees and bushes, are made of sugar cane.

Lego said kids wrote to the company asking it to drop the plastic bags.

“We have been exploring alternatives for some time and the passion and ideas from children inspired us to begin to make the change,” Lego chief executive Niels B Christiansen said in a statement.

The paper bags, which are recyclable, were easier for kids to open, the company said.

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