Lego To Replace Oil-Based Plastics


Discussion in 'Politics Discussion' started by PatriceBa, Jun 29, 2015.

  1. PatriceBa

    PatriceBa Well-Known Member

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    Environment: Danish toy maker will invest $150 million, hire more than 100 people to develop sustainable plastics for its signature product

    Lego, the Danish toy maker, says it will spend $150 million and hire more than 100 staffers to research, develop, and introduce “sustainable raw materials” to replace the petrochemical-based polymers it uses to produce its famous building-block toys. The company aims to make the switch by 2030.

    The firm says it currently manufactures its toys from a wide range of materials, but industry sources say the key raw material for its blocks is acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), a copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile synthesized in the presence of polybutadiene rubber.

    Lego’s desire to change plastics stems from its environmental goals. “Finding alternatives to the materials used to make these bricks would significantly reduce the Lego Group’s impact on the planet,” says Lego owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. The firm also plans to make its packaging from sustainable raw materials.

    In 2014, the company used 77,000 metric tons of raw materials to create more than 60 billion Lego pieces. Styrolution, a styrenic polymers maker that counts Lego as one of its important ABS customers, declined to comment on Lego’s plans.

    Lego wouldn’t say whether it seeks a biobased version of ABS or whether it plans to switch to a new polymer altogether. The company tells C&EN that it “is looking at all options.” Selection will be based on material source, chemical composition, how the material can be managed at the end of its life, and its societal impact, Lego says.

    The project will be challenging. In a 2012 briefing, Styrolution told C&EN that the building-block raw material has to be made to an exact specification so that the blocks lock together and then come apart with just the right amount of force. “It is not your run-of-the-mill ABS,” a company executive said.

    Lego is seeking to hire a range of scientists for the project, including chemists, materials specialists, engineers, and parts designers. The firm also wants “people who are good at creating networks,” because it plans to collaborate with outside organizations. To house the research team, in 2015 and 2016, Lego

    Code:
    http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i26/Lego-Replace-Oil-Based-Plastics.html
     
  2. Sunflogun

    Sunflogun Well-Known Member

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    Lego is always one step ahead and that is why no one is facing them. Like I heard recently, when an elephant is sitting in a room, better stay away.
     
  3. Penny

    Penny Well-Known Member

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    I think it makes economic ad environmental sense to look for a sustainable plastic that can be "farmed" in some way. Early example of this are starting to emerge but they are very far away from commercial applications. The only one I know of is a fungus propagation method that they are trying to use to create packing materials. I hope investment from industries like to manufacturers will speed the process to making more resilient and affordable bio-plastics.
     
  4. JoshPosh

    JoshPosh Guest

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    It's going to take them 15 years to find a solution? Until then they are still going to be used oil based plastics? In my opinion they should get it done sooner then that. That just seems ridiclously too long to find an alternative.
     
  5. pwarbi

    pwarbi Senior Investor

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    While it might take them a long time, I guess the main point is that they're actually looking for alternatives unlike a lot of other companies.

    They've recognised the fact that they will have to make a change and they're being proactive about trying to come up with a solution.
     
  6. JR Ewing

    JR Ewing Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Anybody notice all of these large companies all of the sudden making all of these changes? Environmental, payroll, etc, etc?
     
  7. Penny

    Penny Well-Known Member

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    To find an alternative there has to be an alternative. What are companies meant to do, wave a magic wand and fix all the world's problems? These sorts of profound shifted in materials science do not just into people laps because the wished real hard.

    To be completely honest, blue sky research like creating new basic commodities manufacturing methods should be funded by tax dollars and carried out by universities and research institutes. Discoveries of this type rarely if every repay their investors. Fundamental research is mainly for the public good, and companies profit from finding new ways to apply it. (The same it true for pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, heavy machinery development etc).

    But given that no one wants to pay tax, and no one respects science or engineering, we depend on the makers of children's toys to try and avert industry in general from driving the whole planet to extinction--and them give them crap about not saving our lazy freeloading entitled asses even quicker.

    /rant
     
  8. rightct

    rightct Well-Known Member

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    Hmm, this seems fishy to me. I don't take such a well-funded project would take a whole 15 years to accomplish. I think this is just to launder some money, but again I've never heard of LEGO in-depth to be able to make a good assumption.
     
  9. missbishi

    missbishi Well-Known Member

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    15 years does sound like an awfully long time. Still, though, Lego is quite environmentally-friendly as it is. It lasts for years and is usually lost rather than damaged. It presents a never-ending range of possibilities and can be passed down to younger family members.
     
  10. Thejamal

    Thejamal Guest

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    I admire the attempt. I like the way they're going about this; creating more jobs trying to pursue a more environmentally conscious business. I don't think there's a single person on the planet who says "No! There's no need to be more green!" but the difference comes in the ways we pursue those goals. Creating jobs as Lego is in pursuit of this goal is a good plan and one I can get behind.

    I also agree with everyone else that 15 years seems like a long time to get this problem figured out. But if so, $150 million really isn't that much stretched over that period of time. 100 jobs is indeed significant though.
     

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