Despite being made from plastic, there’s something to be said for LEGO bricks. They are exceedingly durable and their historically consistent connecting system makes their design the opposite of planned obsolescence. The Danish company has an impressive record of sustainability – from investments in offshore wind and discontinued relationships with oil companies to a plan to replace the plastic in the blocks with sustainable materials by 2030. And now the company has launched a pilot program called LEGO Replay, which blends sustainability with philanthropy.
Families can take their old LEGOs, print a free shipping label from LEGO’s partner, Give Back Box, and send them away. Here’s where that durability comes into play: Give Back Box will inspect, sort, and clean the bricks, and ship them to Teach For America and Boys and Girls Club of Boston. Most people tend to pass down old LEGO bricks to their children or grandchildren, but Tim Brooks, the Vice President at the LEGO Group, said there’s also been a lot of people asking for a sustainable way to dispose or donate their bricks. That’s the nice thing about this initiative: it’s both sustainable and socially impactful.
