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As Lego profits grow, company seeks to make products out of renewable materials

The company is putting more of an emphasis on using renewable raw materials instead of petroleum-based materials.
Lego toys and items are displayed at a Five Little Monkeys store in Berkeley, Calif.
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As Lego reported a 13% increase in revenue in the first half of 2024, the company is hoping to use some of its success to make its toys more environmentally friendly.

The Danish company said 22% of the materials it used in the first half of 2024 were made out of recycled and renewable materials. In 2023, the company said just 12% of its products came from renewable resources.

The company said that instead of using primarily fossil fuels, it intends to utilize materials such as used cooking and plant oils to make the plastic in Lego products. Lego said it is using a "mass-balanced approach," which blends fossil material with renewable raw materials.

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The company said it intends to make over half of its products using renewable resources in the coming years.

"The mass balance approach helps us embark on the transition to using more and more renewable raw materials, but it’s not the end goal," Lego said. "Our ambition is that by 2032, our products will be made from more materials that are renewable or recycled. But right now, there aren’t enough quality recycled and renewable raw materials available. We will continue to join forces and work with industry to develop solutions and do our part to drive demand."

The company said it has seen some success with its expanded Lego brick take-back program, called LEGO Replay, as it expanded to the United Kingdom and continued to pilot models in the U.S. and Europe.

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