Lego to invest $150m on sustainable materials R&D

Lego Group will invest 1 billion Danish Krone ($150.5m) in research and development of sustainable raw materials for the company’s toys and packaging, according to a company announcement.

The investment will be used to build the Lego Sustainable Materials Centre at the group’s headquarters in Billund, Denmark.

The research centre’s primary role will be to source sustainable materials for the 60 billion parts that Lego produces per year.

The company said that it will "continuously report" on its progress and is aiming to replace all the materials it uses with sustainable alternatives by 2030.

Lego also expects to recruit at least 100 specialists within the sector to help the firm research and develop more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative materials.

The firm is also aiming to establish the Lego Sustainable Materials Centre organisation during 2015 and 2016 which could include satellite functions located around the world.

The Reputation Institute’s annual CSR RepTrak ranked Lego in the top 10 companies with the best corporate social responsibility reputation.

Lego is also looking to enhance its collaborations with organisations including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in the search for sustainable alternative materials.

The company began collaboration with WWF in 2013 and signed a new agreement earlier this year to collaborate on analysing the sustainability of new bio-based materials for Lego products and packaging.

The decision to boost the firm’s research in sustainable materials was made at its recent general assembly in May 2015.

LEGO Group owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen said: "Our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow… We believe that our main contribution to this is through the creative play experiences we provide to children. The investment announced is a testament to our continued ambition to leave a positive impact on the planet, which future generations will inherit."