The Innovation Behind Sustainable Tires
The innovative material incorporates repurposed ocean debris—discarded ropes and fishing nets—combined with recycled engine oil. This approach significantly lessens the reliance on traditionally sourced fossil fuels for production.
Initially implemented in seven distinct tire models, each product features a minimum of 30% recycled content. Fans can already spot these environmentally conscious tires in recent LEGO sets, blending seamlessly with their classic counterparts. The company anticipates that by the close of 2025, these new tires will be included in around 120 different sets and is exploring ways to broaden the use of recycled materials across various tire designs.
Commitment to Sustainable Practices
Annette Stube, Chief Sustainability Officer at LEGO Group, expressed enthusiasm for this development: “This represents an exciting progression towards creating more sustainable LEGO products while minimizing our dependency on virgin fossil fuels. Over five years have been dedicated to researching and refining this material to ensure it adheres to our stringent quality standards for safety and longevity. The introduction of these tires is part of a larger strategy aimed at incorporating sustainable solutions into our offerings.”
The newly introduced material is named rSEBS (recycled Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene) and contributes positively to carbon footprint reduction efforts within production processes. With its origins rooted in mechanically recycled sources as indicated by the lowercase ‘r,’ this material aligns perfectly with ongoing sustainability strategies within the corporation.
Exploring Diverse Sustainable Options
Recognizing that there isn’t one definitive solution for addressing sustainability challenges, LEGO Group actively investigates multiple methods aimed at decreasing its ecological impact while increasing reliance on renewable resources through various initiatives:
- Bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) – Since introducing bio-PE derived from Brazilian sugarcane in 2018 for certain elements such as minifigure accessories and botanical items, over half of all current LEGO sets now contain components crafted from this bioplastic.
- Recycled artificial marble (arMABS) – Starting in 2024, transparent pieces like windscreens and lightsabers will incorporate up to 20% recycled content sourced from artificial marble used commonly in countertops. Over time, more than 900 arMABS items are expected across approximately 85% of all LEGO products.
- e-Methanol and ePOM – Collaborating with industry leaders allows LEGOs access e-methanol—a product obtained by combining renewable energy with CO2 emitted from organic waste—which aims to produce ePOM for wheel axles slated for release soon.
LEGO remains steadfastly focused on revolutionizing raw material sourcing within their products’ constructions.
Future Commitments
In anticipation of enhanced sustainability benchmarks being met during upcoming fiscal cycles:
“By mid-2024,” confirmed representatives “it’s projected that up to 30% percent resin utilization will be certified according either mass balance principles or made entirely via renewable processes.”
On March 11th of this year—the organization plans an announcement detailing comprehensive findings concerning their sustainability practices along with insightful annual mass balance statistics enabling deeper evaluation into advancements achieved thus far.”