Danish toymaker Lego has presented its first building bricks made out of recycled drinks bottles — an experimental project that if successful could eventually go into production.

In a statement Wednesday, the group said the prototype uses plastic from discarded bottles from the United States. On average, a one-liter bottle provides enough raw material for ten Lego bricks with two rows of four studs, said the company which is based in Billund, western Denmark.

“We know kids care about the environment and want us to make our products more sustainable,” said Tim Brooks, the Lego group’s vice president of environmental responsibility. “Even though it will be a while before they will be able to play with bricks made from recycled plastic, we want to let kids know we’re working on it.”

The company said its discarded bottle suppliers use processes approved by the US Food & Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority.

The bottles are made of PET plastic, or polyethylene terephthalate, which doesn't degrade in quality when recycled.

The prototype followed more than three years of research during which hundreds of variations of PET materials and other plastic formulations were tested, Lego said. It can fit with Lego elements made over the past 60 years.

Lego said its team will continue to carry out tests over at least a year and then assess whether to move to the pilot production phase.

Lego was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The name derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well.”

Share:
More In Business
Trump says Netflix deal to buy Warner Bros. ‘could be a problem’ because of size of market share
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
What to know about changes to Disney parks’ disability policies
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
Load More