Here’s a fact that may surprise you: Did you know that Lego is the world’s largest manufacturer of tires by volume? The Danish toy maker produces around 400 million tires each year. Nevermind that you could fit thousands in a regular vehicle tire — the standard properties of these rubber tires meant for toys are the same as those used in everyday cars. This also implies the same environmental problems.
Lego has so far produced about four billion toy tires, which until now were made using fossil fuel-based ingredients. However, this is about to change.
The largest toy maker recently announced that it has started making toy tires using recycled ropes and fishing nets from ocean vessels. The materials are mixed with recycled engine oil. This step will significantly reduce the carbon impact of these products.
“It will initially be used in seven LEGO tire pieces, each containing at least 30% recycled content. The new tires have already started appearing in LEGO sets— indistinguishable from existing tires fans know and love,” the Lego team notes in a press release.
Tiny tires, major impacts
The new tires will contain a material called rSEBS (recycled styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene). This is a type of thermoplastic elastomer that combines the properties of both plastic and rubber.
SEBS is used to make products ranging from smartphone covers to car dashboards. It is one of the most widely used non-biodegradable materials. The toothbrush you’re using likely has a handle made of SEBS.
Lego’s new tire material contains recycled SEBS and some other ingredients. It’s one of the 600 materials that the company tested in its effort to develop more sustainable products. However, rSEBS is currently in its initial testing phase, with only selected toy sets having tires made of this material.
“The company expects these new tires to be used in approximately 120 different sets by the end of 2025 and plans to explore ways to expand recycled content across more tire styles in the near future,” the Lego team said.
The company has set the goals to reduce its carbon footprint by 37 percent and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Since tires are just one of the many Lego parts — rSEBS alone isn’t enough.
“rSEBS is part of the company’s broader efforts to make LEGO Group bricks and packaging from more sustainable materials. There is no single solution to the challenges of sustainability, which is why the company is exploring a range of solutions to reduce its environmental footprint and make its products from more renewable and recycled materials,” the Lego team added.
Lego’s other sustainable solutions
rSEBS is the newest entry in Lego’s arsenal of sustainable materials, but it’s not the first nor the last. The company has already been using some interesting sustainable materials for making some of their products.
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For example, transparent Lego toys such as windows and lightsabers are made using a material containing 20 percent recycled artificial marble (arMABS). Similarly, to make the accessories in many of their minifigures, the company has been using bioPE, a plastic-like material made from Brazilian sugarcane.
“The LEGO Group produces over 900 different arMABS elements, which, once fully transitioned, will feature in more than 85% of LEGO sets,” the Lego team notes. Moreover, “today, more than 200 elements are made from bio-PE, with over half of LEGO sets containing at least one of these sustainable components,” they added.
However, not every initiative has been successful. For instance, back in 2021, Lego announced plans to make bricks using recycled plastic bottles. Two years later, the company dropped the plan, saying that the required changes to its brick-making process could actually end up increasing the company’s carbon footprint.
Hopefully, rSEBS won’t face any such issues, and soon it will become the main recipe for Lego’s most toy tires.