The LEGO Group announces plans to build a $1 billion carbon-neutral run factory in Virginia. This factory will create more than 1,760 jobs in Chesterfield County. Additionally, it will include an onsite solar park that will create enough energy to completely support the factory’s power needs. As the seventh LEGO factory, it will continue to expand the LEGO Group’s global manufacturing network. It will also support the supply chain and continue growth in the USA.

The LEGO factory in Virginia will cost more than $1 billion. The size of the facility will be approximately 1.7 million square feet. It will operate as a carbon-neutral factory, meaning that 100% of the day to day energy needs will be matched by the onsite solar park generating renewable energy. Also, the factory will lower the use of energy and non-renewable resources.

Sustainability

This facility is another precedent of the LEGO Group’s push towards improving sustainability. The use of paper bags, recycled bricks, and the LEGO Replay program are further examples.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2022. Bricks should start being made in the second half of 2025. The LEGO Group will work with the Virginia Talent Accelerator program to build their team.

Currently, the LEGO Group employs about 2,600 people across the United States. The head US office is located in Enfield, CT and operates 100 LEGO stores throughout the country.

It is exciting to see the LEGO Group continue to grow in the United States and North America. Hopefully, this factory will help alleviate some of the supply chain issues and new sets selling out so fast! It is interesting to note how precise these LEGO bricks are made. The molds are to the accuracy of a hair’s width (0.005mm)! This allows what the LEGO Group terms as ‘clutch power’ which holds the bricks together.

The post New Carbon-Neutral LEGO Factory to be Built in Virginia appeared first on The Brick Parent.

Earlier this week, TIME Magazine released “The 100 Best Inventions of 2021.” The LEGO Recycled Brick made the list in the “Toys and Games” category due to their incredible work to improve sustainability.

As Rebecca Katzman reports, almost half of the PET plastic in the world ends up in landfills. The LEGO Group hopes to take some of that plastic and turn it into LEGO bricks. Additionally, by 2030, they hope to make all LEGO bricks from sustainable sources. It took the LEGO Group over three years and more than 250 variations of PET materials to find the right fit. The recycled bricks will hopefully make their way into LEGO sets in the next 18 to 24 months. About 100,000 metric tons of plastic resin are currently used every year in LEGO sets, so this prototype brick can really make a difference.

From Plastic Bottle to Prototype Brick

Let’s take a closer look at how the LEGO Group takes a plastic bottle and turns it into a prototype brick.

1. Grind PET plastic drinking bottles down into flakes.

2. Clean and granulate the PET flakes.

3. The PET plastic granulate is strengthened.

4. Test specimens are made from molds using the granulate to evaluate the mechanical properties.

5. Bricks are made from molds which are tested for quality and performance.

6. The prototype bricks go to the quality testing lab for more extensive testing.

7. Need to determine how to color the prototype bricks.

8. Build the production setup for manufacturing the bricks.

9. Find a LEGO brick from recycled PET in your LEGO set!

Here is a great infographic showing all of the steps:

LEGO Group Sustainability

The LEGO recycled prototype brick is part of the LEGO Group’s push towards more sustainable products. Furthermore, they will invest up to $400 million over three years to 2022 to accelerate their sustainability. This recycled prototype brick is just one of the many examples of how they will accomplish this. See below for many more ways the LEGO Group is improving sustainability:

• Partnering with Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden to provide “Build the Change” activities to over 10,000 children in China to increase their interest in sustainability.
• Providing “Building Instructions for a Better World” to the leaders at the COP26 summit.
• Partnering with Volvo to create an electric prototype construction vehicle from a LEGO Technic set.
• Providing the LEGO Replay program to donate and recycle old LEGO bricks.
• Starting to use paper bags in LEGO packaging by early 2022.

We applaud the LEGO Group’s sustainability efforts and can’t wait to see these recycled bricks in our LEGO sets soon!

The post LEGO Recycled Brick One of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2021 appeared first on The Brick Parent.

During the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), the LEGO Group has revealed seven new sets. Three of these sets gain inspiration from Chinese culture and traditions. Additionally, four of these new sets are from the widely popular LEGO Super Mario theme. Furthermore, a new partnership with Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden was announced to help increase children’s interest in sustainability.

We are thrilled to unveil a record number of new products at the CIIE as we celebrate the power of play and children’s creative resilience at the important expo…

– Paul Huang, Senior Vice President of the LEGO Group and General Manager of LEGO China

Let’s dive into all of these announcements and see what they have in store!

First, let’s take a look at the new LEGO sets that have been announced at CIIE:

LEGO Lunar New Year

• 80108 LEGO Lunar New Year Traditions
• 80109 LEGO Lunar New Year Ice Festival

LEGO Monkie Kid

• 80035 LEGO Monkie Kid Galactic Explorer

LEGO Super Mario

• 71396 LEGO Super Mario Bowser Jr’s Clown Car
• 71398 LEGO Super Mario Dorrie’s Beachfront
• 71400 LEGO Super Mario Big Urchin Beach Ride
• 71402 LEGO Super Mario Character Packs – Series 4

We have previously covered the new LEGO Super Mario Expansion sets, so check out the link for more info! The LEGO Group did include more great photos of these sets. You can scroll down to see them!

LEGO Monkie Kid Galactic Explorer, LEGO Lunar New Year Traditions, and LEGO Lunar New Year Ice Festival will be available in China and Asia Pacific markets on December 25, 2021. The LEGO Super Mario expansion sets will be available in China on January 18, 2022 and should be available in the U.S. around the same time (early 2022).

Now, let’s look at these sets in a bit more detail.

LEGO Lunar New Year 80108 Traditions

This set has six different modules to celebrate the six different customs of the Spring Festival. These modules consist of Spring Festival Shopping, making Good Luck decorations, watching the New Year countdown, exchanging ‘Hongbao’ red envelopes, and the God of Wealth. Additionally, this set can help children learn Chinese customs as each module is similar to a set of Chinese New Year pictures.

LEGO Lunar New Year 80109 Ice Festival

Watch a Spring Festival Ice Skating Park with this colorful and playful set. Children are celebrating the Chinese New Year with many different winter activities. A gorgeous ice sculpture fills the background. The children can be seen ice skating, playing ice hockey, sledding with penguins, and taking photos in the pavilion. A really cool tiger minifigure character is included for the coming Year of the Tiger in 2022.

LEGO Monkie Kid 80035 Galactic Explorer

First launching in May 2020, LEGO Monkie Kid is the first theme that gains its inspiration from a Chinese legend called ‘Journey to the West’. In this set, the Monkie Kid’s team goes on a space journey where they will battle two Shadow Monkeys. They must protect the green ring of fire that is kept in their spaceship. This is truly an amazing looking ship. It also includes a detachable lunar rover and launch pad.

LEGO Super Mario 71396 Bowser Jr’s Clown Car

LEGO Super Mario 71398 Dorrie’s Beachfront

LEGO Super Mario 71400 Big Urchin Beach Ride

LEGO Super Mario 71402 Character Pack – Series 4

Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden

Another announcement was a new partnership between the LEGO Group and the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. The goal is to increase children’s interest in sustainability. LEGO Build the Change activities will take place over the next three years for over 10,000 children.

Furthermore, the LEGO Braille Bricks program will be expanding into China due to an agreement with the China Association of the Blind and the China Braille Press. This program helps visually impaired children learn braille in creative and fun ways.

For more LEGO sustainability projects, check out the Building Instructions for a Better World and the LEGO Replay Program.

The post LEGO Lunar New Year, Monkie Kid, Super Mario Sets Revealed at CIIE appeared first on The Brick Parent.

The LEGO Group asked over 6,000 children what instructions they would give to world leaders to help tackle the climate crisis. The result is ten Building Instructions for a Better World, which will be presented at COP26 (UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties). These building instructions follow the style we all know and love from LEGO sets. The LEGO Group is helping to give children a larger voice to help address climate change.

At COP26, world leaders will gather in Glasgow to address how to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The LEGO Group will present these building instructions to leaders at this event. One of the goals of the LEGO building instructions is to remind policy makers to remember children, who are the next generation, in their decision making.

We have joined forces with young people across the globe to develop the Building Instructions for a Better World, giving children a voice and making sure their voice is heard by world leaders during COP26 – one of the most important climate summits of our time.

– Tim Brooks, VP of Environmental Responsibility at the LEGO Group

Building Instructions for a Better World

The Building Instructions for a Better World include the following:

1. Reduce pollution and waste.
2. Protect nature
3. Change laws.
4. Stop ignoring the problem: do more.
5. Educate people.
6. Reduce emissions.
7. Cooperate internationally.
8. Leaders, change your own behavior.
9. Invest in the environment.
10. Help people and future generations.

Check out the full LEGO instructions below.

These instructions are part of the LEGO Group’s ‘Build the Change‘ program. Additionally, they will be hosting workshops to discuss learning through play and biodiversity challenges.

Overall, the building instructions are a part of the LEGO Group’s effort and commitment to improve sustainability. These efforts include:

• Phasing-in of paper bags in packaging by early 2022.
• Creating a prototype recycled LEGO brick.
• LEGO Replay – a program to donate and recycle old bricks.
• Partnership with Volvo to create the first prototype electric construction vehicle from a LEGO Technic set.

We are so glad that the LEGO Group is giving children of the world a greater voice at COP26. We hope that the current world leaders and decision makers listen to what they have to say to create a better world for the future leaders of tomorrow.

The post LEGO Provides ‘Building Instructions for a Better World‘ for COP26 appeared first on The Brick Parent.

For the fist time ever, a LEGO Technic model is now a real machine. Take a look at the Volvo LX03. It is a fully autonomous, battery-electric prototype construction vehicle. This real-life vehicle gained inspiration from the LEGO Technic 42081 Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX.

It all started in 2016, when the LEGO Group and Volvo collaborated on the ZEUX concept. What resulted was this incredible LEGO Technic set. Once only a futuristic concept model, it is now a reality.

…this is the first time we are making a real machine based on a model and not the other way around – and that is what makes this a truly unique project.

– Niels Henrik Horsted, Head of Product for LEGO Technic

The Volvo LX03 prototype is part of Volvo’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability. As an electric vehicle it has zero emissions, low-noise, and can run up to a maximum of eight hours.

It is the first real-life example of a self-learning wheel loader. It has the ability to interact with humans, make decisions, and perform dangerous or repeated tasks. With this vehicle on site, less humans can be in harm’s way.

The vehicle starts out at weighing 5-tons, but as part of a modular building process, it can be made larger or smaller which just a couple of changes to the production process.

Take a look at this video which further explains the collaboration between Volvo and the LEGO Group.

The Volvo LX03 prototype is not yet available commercially. But, the insights learned here will be used for future projects.

What an exciting project and collaboration! What other LEGO sets do you think will eventually turn into real-life vehicles? Let us know in the comments!

The post LEGO Technic Model is Now a Real Volvo Prototype Construction Vehicle appeared first on The Brick Parent.

Have any old, used LEGO bricks just sitting in a box in the attic? Are you wanting to donate or recycle your old bricks? This is where LEGO Replay comes in! It is a program that allows you to donate your old LEGO bricks to non-profit organizations for children. This program is a partnership of LEGO with Give Back Box, Teach For America, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

We think this program is really great because it allows more children to be able to play with LEGO bricks. By providing this opportunity, children can learn problem solving, creativity, and teamwork.

How does it work? The LEGO website does a great job of explaining the process. You can also watch the program announcement video below.

Let’s go through the steps in a little more detail:

Box It (Step 1): Collect any LEGO bricks or pieces you want to donate, and place them in a cardboard box.

Print It (Step 2): Then, go to www.lego.com/replay and print out a free UPS shipping label.

Label It (Step 3): Next, place the label on the box.

Ship It (Step 4): Finally, drop the box off in the mail. The box will arrive at the Give Back Box facility. Each brick will be sorted, inspected, and cleaned.

As of today, here are the amount of donations so far. The amount is really amazing!

The LEGO Group has done a great job of improving their sustainability. The Replay program is also in line with their phase-in of paper bags and creation of a prototype recycled brick.

For even more information on this program, take a look at some frequently asked questions (FAQs) below.

FAQs

Where do my LEGO bricks go?

They are donated to organizations such as Teach for America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

What types of LEGO elements can be donated?

Any loose LEGO, DUPLO, or Technic bricks can be donated.

Is there anything that I should not send?

Please do not send sets that are fully built or partially built. You should take all the bricks apart if possible. Do not send any non-LEGO items, storage containers, or electronics even if they are LEGO. Additionally, do not send any batteries unless the item has a button cell battery which can stay in.

Do I need to clean the bricks prior to donating?

No, you do not have to. The bricks will be sorted, inspected, and cleaned at the Give Back Box facility.

What if I am missing bricks, pieces, or instructions from my sets?

The LEGO Group donates full sets with instructions, so your sets do not need to be complete. Large boxes of random bricks are also a lot of fun to play with to come up with your own designs! The box also includes an activity book with some great ideas.

The post Donate and Recycle Your Old Bricks with LEGO Replay appeared first on The Brick Parent.

This week, The LEGO Group released their 1H 2021 Financial Results. Along with the financials, this report includes additional interesting information, such as the top themes of the first half of 2021, and plans for building a sustainable future within the company. Two main initiatives are mentioned, which are paper packaging and recycled bricks.

LEGO Paper Bags

The LEGO Group has already finished a successful trial of paper bags which will be used to replace the plastic ones. So far, they state the paper bags will be used inside of the boxes. Their plan is to start phasing in the new paper packaging by early 2022.

It will be interesting to see if the paper bags will also replace the plastic polybag sets as well. One thing that is immediately noticeable about the new paper bags is that they are not see-through.

However, as seen in this photo, they do look like they might be easier for kids to open!

The numbering system is also present and similar to the plastic ones. I’m guessing the paper would need to have a nice weight and thickness to it to prevent the pointy bricks from poking through. It might be harder to confirm the bag is completely empty without being able to see through it.

We think these paper bags are a great development and agree with The LEGO Group’s push towards sustainable products.

Recycled Prototype LEGO Brick

In addition to more sustainable packaging, The LEGO Group recently revealed a prototype brick in June 2021. This prototype LEGO brick is made from recycled single-use PET bottles.

The ingenuity and creativity is simply amazing! It is great that these plastic bottles can be recycled into new LEGO bricks!

These look like a light gray color but I am sure The LEGO Group will figure out how to make all of their beautiful colors soon.

The LEGO Group’s goal is to make all packaging 100 percent sustainable by 2025. Looks like they are well on their way!

We applaud The LEGO Group’s focus on building a sustainable future. We will keep you posted as further developments arise. Check out more of our LEGO News to keep up with the latest.

The post The LEGO Group to Begin Phase-In of Paper Bags by Early 2022 appeared first on The Brick Parent.