Today I learned that Lego is the largest tire manufacturer by volume in the world – even though its tires are among the smallest on the planet. The Danish toy company is now making those tires out of recycled materials like fishing nets, engine oil, and rope.
Last month, the company revealed it's developed a new material that makes up a third of the stuff that goes into its tires. These have already been shipping in Lego sets, and should become part of its standard recipe through 2025.
Lego says it's been working on this material, called rSEBS (short for recycled styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) for the last five years. It's made by combining discarded ropes and nets with recycled engine oil. It's part of the company's initiative to reduce its reliance on virgin fossil fuel-based ingredients for its various bricks and building pieces.
Not every Lego set has tires, which means rSEBS won't make a huge impact in helping to clean up Lego's act. But every bit helps – especially when you consider that the company is said to sell 220 million sets a year.
Lego previously tried to go green in 2021 by switching to prototype bricks made from recycled PET plastic bottles. Two years on, however, the company noted that its carbon footprint would be higher if it changed its manufacturing process – and ditched the plan.
The global toy brand maintains its intention to make Lego bricks from more sustainable materials and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by by 37% by 2032.
It's tested 600 different materials to make that happen thus far; rSEBS is a minor success in that regard, alongside other materials it's recently developed with recycled ingredients for its transparent elements, vehicle axles, and flowers. It'll have its work cut out for finding a sustainable recipe to make its seemingly indestructible bricks.
Oh, and if you want to see perhaps the largest tires ever fitted on to a bunch of Lego blocks, check out this video of a life-size McLaren P1 made from the company's bricks speeding around a racetrack at 40 mph (64 km/h).
Source: Lego