LEGO unveils reinvented bricks after thousands of kids demand change

The cult playroom favourite will take on a new form in the months to come as LEGO comes good on its sustainability commitment.

LEGO is set to launch a revolutionary take on its cult favourite brick with a design feature sure to put a smile on the dial of the environmentally conscious.

The global company has announced it will soon be unveiling a LEGO brick made entirely from recycled PET plastic from bottles.

More than 250 variations of PET materials were trialled before the company finally landed on the plastic bottle design, which will be the first of its kind.

Just one one-litre plastic PET bottle, on average, will provide enough raw material for ten

two-by-four LEGO bricks.

If the development phases continue to proceed smoothly, the exciting product could be on shelves within 18-24 months, vice president of environmental responsibility at LEGO Group Tim Brooks told news.com.au.

New bricks made from plastic PET bottles. Picture: LEGO

There were still however some minor kinks the brand had to iron out before its fan base were able to get stuck into playing though.

Developers were still working out how the PET plastic bottles would accept colour and how durable it would be when compared to the classic bricks.

“We can’t guarantee it will come in all colours but we will try to make it work in range of exciting colours,” Mr Brooks said.

“There could even be potential for new and exciting shapes.”

Bricks made with PET bottles will build with the same “clutch power” as the regular blocks, allowing any new instalment to fit with bricks made 60 years ago.

Why were PET bottles chosen?

Plastic bottles without interference already have all the characteristics required for a sturdy brick, which made them the prime choice for LEGO, Mr Brooks said.

They were reliable, tough, lightweight and due each bottle’s former use, were proven safe for consumers.

He added there was potential for some extra “magic” to be added to the bottles to increase their toughness and allow them to be clickable, just like regular bricks in the brand’s System of Play.

A letter from a LEGO fan asking for bricks to be made from recycled materials. Picture: LEGO

The prototype is the latest step in the company’s ambition to make LEGO products from sustainable materials, and represents part of its continued investment of US$400 million over three years to accelerate its sustainability goals.

Brand responds to fanbase

Thousands of LEGO lovers had been in touch with the brand in recent years, with young kids calling on it to reduce its use of plastic.

Mr Brooks said the upcoming launch was heavily influenced by messages that had been received from children who loved playing with bricks, but wished there was less plastic involved.

The PET bottle bricks are expected to be just as durable as the original bricks, and will be designed to be “replayed” and passed on through generations.

It was too early for Mr Brooks to predict if the recycled bricks would eventually replace the regular bricks on shelves entirely.

He was also unsure if they would be available permanently, given it would largely depend on how much functionality the new bricks would have compared to the classics.