LEGO Rolls Out E-Methanol Plastic Across More Than 90 Part Types

LEGO has moved e-methanol-based plastic into serial production, using the material for more than 90 types of components in its standard brick range. The rollout covers some of the toy maker’s most structurally demanding parts — cross-shaped axles, connectors, steering wheels and minifigure hands — elements subject to the strictest strength and rigidity requirements in the product line.

The shift follows a long-term supply partnership focused on securing a reliable, industrial-scale source of e-methanol for current and future mass manufacturing. More than five years of joint development, practical trials and incremental scale-up preceded the commercial launch.

E-methanol arrives at LEGO’s factories via a Power-to-X production chain. Renewable electricity first generates hydrogen; that hydrogen is then combined with carbon captured at a biogas facility — carbon that would otherwise have entered the atmosphere. The reaction yields e-methanol fully compatible with existing plastic-making processes.

LEGO says the material cleared all required strength and safety tests, demonstrating that sustainable feedstocks can substitute conventional inputs without any compromise in product performance. The new parts mark the latest stage of a broader company strategy to raise the share of recycled and renewable materials across its catalogue.

Source: Hydrogen Europe