The LEGO Group has joined the How2Recycle initiative, providing U.S. consumers with clear guidance and encouragement for responsibly recycling LEGO packaging. 

 

The first LEGO boxes with How2Recycle labeling with be rolled out across the U.S. this year. How2Recycle aims to promote recycling by creating a clear, well understood and nationally harmonized label that enables companies to convey to consumers how to recycle a package.

 

“Every day at the LEGO Group we strive to make a positive impact on the world for children and work to play our part today in protecting the Earth’s finite resources for future generations,” said Tim Brooks, vice president, environmental responsibility. “LEGO bricks are designed to be reused and handed down through generations, but not everyone keeps their LEGO boxes. Implementing the How2Recycle label on LEGO packaging is an important step in minimizing landfill through clear guidelines, encouraging consumers to responsibly recycle their packaging.”

 

Insights show recyclable products and packages end up in landfills, as many consumers are confused about which items can be recycled and how to sort them.

 

The How2Recycle Label is a project of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and is the first standardized U.S. recycling labeling system designed for consumers. It has changed recycling behavior among consumers since it launched in 2012.

 

More than 60 brands, including Campbells, Unilever, Pepisco and McDonald’s, have added this labeling to their packaging. Retailers such as Target and Walmart are strong supporters, adding it to their private-label packaging and encouraging suppliers to do the same.

 

By the end of 2018, more than 60 percent of new LEGO boxes in the U.S. will feature the How2Recycle label. The LEGO Group aims to extend the How2Recycle label to nearly all new North American products in 2019. The LEGO Group is developing similar recycling labels for packaging in other markets, though due to diversity of languages and recycling systems, a feasible solution has not yet been implemented.

 

The LEGO Group has already taken significant steps to improve packaging sustainability. All paper and cardboard used in LEGO products and packaging is sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The Green Box Initiative reduced packaging size and improved transport efficiency, saving up to 10,000 truckloads to date.

 

In 2017, the LEGO Group celebrated achieving the 100 percent renewable energy target. Through investments in wind power, the energy used to make LEGO bricks is now balanced by the production of renewable energy. 

 

In June 2017, the LEGO Group extended its partnership with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature as part of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in manufacturing and supply chain operations and promote global action on climate change.

 

The LEGO Group has committed to make all products and packaging from sustainable materials by 2030. It has made progress in testing new materials, such as introducing sustainable paper pulp trays for the LEGO advent calendar. The group is also reducing the amount of unrecyclable black plastic waste going to landfills.