LEGO is moving to a totally renewed and ecological production with Hemp by 2030. LEGO has served as the literal building block for generations of children’s toys. Using an oil-based plastic material known as ABS, it’s no surprise that LEGO has faced its fair share of environmental concerns. Because of this, LEGO has committed to finding a renewable replacement for their plastic by the year 2030, and that material is hemp. The branded toy bricks loved by children is going green.

Generation Hemp

Hemp is in fact an ideal base material for the manufacture of plastic because of its high cellulose content, which varies between 70 and 80% that’s according to Hemp Plastics.

A company named Zeoform has been working for several years on the advancement of biodegradable hemp technologies. Today, the company claims a new type of very robust plastic made entirely from hemp. The material can be injected or blow moulded in countless products ranging from buttons to straws, home furniture, Frisbees. And even toy building blocks …

Hemp is making waves globally

Hemp is slowly making waves in the bioplastic space. Zeoform, an Australian company has patented a product derived from hemp cellulose fibres which they’ve converted into an industrial, highly malleable material.

The material is non-toxic, biodegradable and can produce commercial and a range of industrial grade materials. There’s an aptly named US company called HempPlastic which has released a hemp-based ABS plastic which meets the FDA standards for food, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products. And there’s even a company called Just Bio Fiber which is making LEGO inspired, hemp-based bricks for a home on Vancouver Island. Companies are beginning to realize the efficiency of growing hemp, as well as the durability of the plant itself.

Hemp is awesome

An entire empire of LEGO, approaching 60 years was built on plastic. But now, the gigantic Danish toy company is investing millions to get rid of it … By 2030, the 60 billion blocks that the company manufactures each year will be replaced by hemp.

It turns out hemp may just be the cost-effective and ecologically sustainable alternative material that LEGO is looking for. Allan Rasmussen, Project Manager at LEGO, told Plastics News this week that the new material should be able to form bricks indistinguishable from the actual plastic bricks.

“I need to find a material as good as this one,” Rasmussen said. “I need to find a material that will be just as good in 50 years, because these are passed down from generation to generation.”

The Extract thinks hemp is the perfect choice.

Source: The Extract.