LEGO launching 'sustainable' plant-sourced bricks later this year

LEGO plant-sourced "botanical" elements. (Courtesy of LEGO)

LEGO has revealed that it is preparing to launch a line of plant-based plastic elements that will come in the form of leaves, trees and bushes to start.

Production has already begun on the new "botanical" elements, which will be made from polyethylene sourced from sugarcane and will start appearing in LEGO boxes before year-end.

The plant-based plastic is soft and flexible, according to the company, which says the elements are technically identical to those made with conventional polyethylene.

"Children and parents will not notice any difference in the quality or appearance of the new elements, because plant-based polyethylene has the same properties as conventional polyethylene," said Tim Brooks, Vice President, Environmental Responsibility at the LEGO Group.

The move is part of the company's goal of using sustainable materials in core products and packaging by 2030. That goal is not without its challenges: the unique 60-year-old design of its iconic bricks -- which are made from a hard plastic -- along with a continued focus on quality ensures that any two Lego bricks will fit together, even if they were made decades apart.