New Lego pieces: Still hard on your feet, but easier on the planet

Enlarge / All of these Lego pieces will now be made of sugarcane-derived polyethylene. (credit: Lego)

Starting this year, buyers of new Lego playsets will begin to see a new type of block in their boxes-ones made of plant-based plastic.

The Danish company announced the initiative on Thursday, confirming that roughly "1-2 percent" of all Lego bricks are now being made of sugarcane-sourced polyethylene. For this material-switch rollout, Lego has made the admittedly cute decision of using it to produce playsets' tiny Lego plants-as in, trees, shrubs, vines, and patches of grass.

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