LEGO to make plastic derived from sugar cane.

[MarleyMoose]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5455713/Lego-make-plastic-bricks-plants-bid-tackle-waste.html

Very interesting. 

[Phil B]

One word: greenwashing

[Thanos75]

I used to work for the Plastic division of Alcoa Aluminum. You know them better as Reynolds. I was the maintenance supervisor at a plastic extrusion factory in Ohio. We were where they did small batches of special plastic and projects. We made some secret type plastics for the government which were crazy because they would have armed security and would weigh every ounce of plastic to make sure it was accounted for. Anyways.... They started experimenting with organic based plastic.  The plastic was designed to be biodegradable and have a limited shelf life. The plastic was corn based.  They saw it being used for fruit and vegetable packaging. The plastic would literally start wilting and breaking down around the same time as strawberries would. I am suprised I hadn't heard more about companies trying to use it more often. 

[Guest TabbyBoy]

18 minutes ago, Thanos75 said:

I used to work for the Plastic division of Alcoa Aluminum. You know them better as Reynolds. I was the maintenance supervisor at a plastic extrusion factory in Ohio. We were where they did small batches of special plastic and projects. We made some secret type plastics for the government which were crazy because they would have armed security and would weigh every ounce of plastic to make sure it was accounted for. Anyways.... They started experimenting with organic based plastic.  The plastic was designed to be biodegradable and have a limited shelf life. The plastic was corn based.  They saw it being used for fruit and vegetable packaging. The plastic would literally start wilting and breaking down around the same time as strawberries would. I am suprised I hadn't heard more about companies trying to use it more often. 

Marks & Spencer in the UK used cellulose based clear plastic for their fruit, but stopped using it for some reason... probably cost? If these new LEGO bricks are diodegradable, wouldn't Little Timmy want new pieces soon after? I know my previous comment was deleted, but I can only think that LEGO would do this for monetary gain by forcing buyers to replace pieces more often. All we need is a cleaner process to recycle old bricks. Why not use them to make new building materials, repair our roads and fill in potholes? There's enough in the UK to keep them going for many years! If old tyres can be chopped up and put to good use then so can old LEGO bricks. I used to do work for Rehau Plastics and I believe there are better solutions than what LEGO is suggesting.

[Ed Mack]

"Going Green" is a nice advertising ploy, but there are always drawbacks.  Popular green products like electric cars, solar panels, wind turbines all have major environmental and cost issues that are rarely discussed.  I'm not saying there is not a place for this sort of thing, it just has been my experience that when a company "goes green," the products start to suck.  

For example...I have been in the car wash industry for 30 years and companies have "gone green."  Well, the new Earth friendly chemicals are weak in comparison to the older ones.  They cost more and work less effectively.  

[TigerEyez]

But they'll taste great!!!!!