The LEGO Group has announced the introduction of a new, more sustainable material for selected LEGO tyres, made from recycled fishing nets, ropes, and engine oil. This initiative is part of the company’s broader efforts to reduce its reliance on virgin fossil fuel-based materials and enhance the sustainability of its products.
The new material is created by repurposing discarded ropes and nets from ocean vessels, which are then combined with recycled engine oil. This innovative approach reduces the need for virgin fossil fuel ingredients while ensuring the material meets the company’s stringent quality, safety, and durability standards.
Initially, the material will be used in seven different LEGO tyre pieces, each containing at least 30% recycled content. The new tyres have already begun appearing in LEGO sets, indistinguishable from existing ones. By the end of 2025, the company expects these tyres to be included in approximately 120 different sets and is exploring ways to expand the use of recycled content across more tyre styles in the near future.
Annette Stube, Chief Sustainability Officer at the LEGO Group, emphasised the significance of this development. “This is an exciting step in our ambition to make LEGO products more sustainable and reduce our dependence on virgin fossil fuels. Over the past five years, we have invested significant time in developing and testing this new recycled material to ensure it meets our high standards for quality, safety, and durability. The tyres are just one of many options we’re working on to make our products more sustainable, and it’s encouraging to see something this innovative making it into our sets.”
The introduction of this material, known as rSEBS, aligns with the LEGO Group’s wider sustainability strategy to develop bricks and packaging using more renewable and recycled resources. The company has tested over 600 different materials in its efforts to make its products more sustainable and reduce its environmental impact.
