Chief Operating Officer at the LEGO Group Carsten Rasmussen penned an open letter regarding the LEGO Group’s committment to combating climate change and the integral collaborations making a greener future possible.
The LEGO Group has been pioneering sustainable solutions for the manufacturing and shipping of its products, as the plastic-based nature of its business makes it a prime target for environmentalist criticism. Carsten Rasmussen has written an op-ed focused specifically on the recent opening of European Energy’s e-methanol factory in Kassø, Denmark. The facility is the first of its kind in the world and is yet another step on the LEGO Group’s journey to using more sustainable materials by 2032.
“Standing alongside like-minded companies, I was truly inspired by the shared drive to take action and create lasting change,” Carsten wrote. “European Energy’s groundbreaking work with e-methanol is a critical step forward, and we’re proud to support this initiative alongside Novo Nordisk and Maersk.”
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The significance of the new factory for the LEGO Group comes in the form of ePOM — a sustainable material derived from what European Energy’s factory produces. ePOM will be used to manufacture hard and durable LEGO elements, including a rather eclectic group of parts like wheel axels, connectors and minifigure hands.
“Importantly,” Carsten continued, “the innovative manufacturing approach allows us to maintain the same high standards of quality and safety. In fact, you won’t be able to tell the difference — and that’s the point. The LEGO play experience remains the same, while reducing our environmental impact.”
The commitment to become more sustainable while maintaining the same feeling of LEGO elements is in part why the LEGO Group has yet to achieve fully sustainable practices with its production. LEGO bricks aren’t just a cheap plastic souvenir that sits alone and will break in a few months — they’ve been designed to last and be compatible with all future bricks since the very beginning. So any change in the materials within the bricks must maintain these core principles. And the quest to find suitable replacements has been anything but easy — the company has so far tested over 600 possible alternatives and has yet to find the Holy Grail of sustainable materials. But the use of ePOM is a great step in the right direction, and will help many elements join the ranks of being made from sustainable materials.
“Some of our products already use these sustainable alternatives, like Brazilian sugarcane for 200 of our flexible elements, recycled fishing nets and recycled engine oil to make some of our tyres, and artificial marble — commonly used in kitchens — for our transparent pieces. We’re pleased with our progress — nearly half of the materials purchased in 2024 were produced with sustainable sources. E-methanol will help us go even further in reducing our use of virgin fossil materials,” Carsten explained.
“Children are our role models, and we’re committed to helping them inherit a healthy planet,” Carsten concluded. “The Kassø factory is a powerful symbol of what’s possible when ambition meets action. And like any great LEGO creation, sustainable solutions like this are bigger and bolder when built together.”
Other initiatives towards sustainability include using renewable energy to power factories and administrative buildings, carbon removal projects, as well as paper bags replacing the traditional clear plastic bags in LEGO sets, with more sure to come in the future.