The "GREEN" thread

ScienceChic wrote: Now this will make a significant impact.

Lego will say goodbye to plastic
Company investing $1 billion for greener materials
By Lorenza Brascia
POSTED: Jun 23, 2015

The toy company plans to invest $1 billion over the next 15 years as part of a broad effort to replace its iconic plastic building blocks with materials that are better for the environment. It will also make its packaging more sustainable.

The company made 60 billion Lego pieces last year. So a little bit of change could go a long way to "significantly reduce [Lego's] impact on the planet," Lego said in a statement.

Lego has already done things to reduce its carbon footprint -- like cutting the size of packages and investing in wind power.

I wish the article gave a hint as to what the new Legos would be make of. I'm trying to think of another material that would be biodegradable, functional, strong, and feasibly produced. Good for them if they can find a better way.

ScienceChic wrote: First thought that came to mind for me: hemp.

blog.builddirect.com/the-sustainable-future-of-lego/

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.125979...5978447454736&type=3

I would think that in order to produce a rigid material that would snap together and not deteriorate if it got wet, there would need to be some sort of epoxy or other chemical additive that would need to be mixed in. Then there is the problem of production... I believe Legos are made by melting plastic into molds so I'm just curious how other products like hemp could be produced economically on a massive scale. I'm sure there's a way, but will the consumer be willing to buy it for a higher price which would seem inevitable.

ScienceChic wrote: That second link I found is a collection of injection-mold produced hemp items, so maybe someone already has figured it out? Plastic is a mixture of chemicals as well, I'm sure they can figure something out with hemp that will make it durable and economical - after all, it has to be cheaper to grow than it is to extract, import, and refine oil, right?

Not necessarily. When you figure the environmental cost of building an electric car, the environmental cost of battery disposal and the environmental cost of producing the electricity to power it are you a saint for buying one or a monster destroying the planet?

What is the environmental impact of spending 1 billion dollars?

ScienceChic wrote: I'm not sure I follow Blazer Bob. Are you comparing Lego switching plastic for a more environmentally friendly material to electric vehicles replacing combustion engine vehicles?

Not speaking for Bob, but I think he's referring to the extra environmental costs of production including extra energy needed to produce some environmentally friendly products. I have a feeling that in many cases, the extra energy needed to produce a green product, along with the more limited life of said product may often lead to a wash in benefits to the environment. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be looking for greener ways, but when government subsidies and tax breaks are put into the equation, I'm not sure we really get a good green bang for the buck. For instance, as a mechanic, I believe a good turbo diesel car that gets 45 mpg plus is more environmentally friendly in the long run than a taxpayer subsidized car... I think those subsidies could be used in more direct ways to help the environment rather being just another government spending source.

I do like the hemp idea though, but Legos are very small potatoes... I'm betting it's more to help image and profit than to help the environment (which it really won't imo). If it takes more energy to produce a hemp Lego, it's probably better to make them out of recyclable plastic that could be turned back in for credit. But this does interest me and I will be watching the story to see how they will do it... if they can make cars and other big ticket items out of it, I think it really could make a difference.

Can I volunteer my driveway for these?

Wonder how much they cost.