As the LEGO Group continues towards a more sustainable future, a significant milestone has been achieved: over half of the packaging used across the company is now sourced from sustainable sources. Most LEGO® sets now feature paper-based bags, with five factories now set up to use the new style packaging. Additional facilities will be upgraded to make the switch over the next few years. Outer packaging is now sealed with paper-based tape, and even tags used on LEGO merchandise are now paper-based. Learn more below.
Over half of LEGO Group packing lines switch from plastic bags to paper-based alternatives
The transition from single-use plastic to paper-based bags that house LEGO® bricks inside LEGO boxes started in 2022
Five LEGO factories are packing the LEGO bricks in paper-based alternatives
Roll-out largely complete in factories in China and Vietnam, with global implementation scheduled for 2027
The bags are made of material from well managed Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®C117818) certified forests, recycled materials, and other controlled sources
The LEGO Group is celebrating a significant milestone in its journey to make all its packaging from more sustainable sources. Over half (56%) of packing lines that package LEGO bricks have now transitioned away from using single-use plastic bags, replacing them with sustainably sourced, technically recyclable paper-based alternatives.
Currently, 93% of LEGO packaging by weight is made from paper, cardboard and other paper-based materials to make the vast majority of LEGO packaging recyclable – something children consider important. Recently LEGO Group research found that four in five (81%) children say they care about recycling, with a similar number (80%) interested in reducing waste*.
Towards Paper-Based Bag 2.0
The rollout of the new paper-based packing lines in the LEGO Group’s factories in China and Vietnam is now largely complete. The company aims for full implementation in the remaining factories in the Czech Republic and Hungary by 2026 and Mexico during 2027.
This will just be the end of phase one, explains VP, R&D packing and packaging, Jesper Toubøl.
“We are on an ongoing continuous improvement journey,” he says. “Once the roll out of bags is complete, we’ll explore ways to enhance and continue to make the bags, and the building experience they offer children and families, ever better.”
Along the way, the company will look for ways to make the paper-based packing lines work faster, so that their output can surpass that of the plastic packaging machines they’re replacing.
Find out more about the LEGO Group’s journey to more sustainable packaging, or learn more about the challenges encountered along the way.
28th November 2025
Though commendable, these so-called paper-based bags aren’t quite what they seem.
That’s because they contain 5% plastic. This layer ensure the paper has the strength and durability to stop sharp bits of LEGO poking through the material. It also allows for the bags to be heat sealed. If they were pure paper, another way of closing the bags would need to be sort.
The big issue with these paper-based bags, and LEGO themselves allude to this on their website, is that not all local authorities have the ability to handle mixed paper waste. Similar to single-use coffee cups, these bags need specialist recycling. So, it’s not just a matter of putting out the paper bags with your daily newspaper or cardboard. They have to be pre-sorted and, where appropriate, either left for kerb-side collection or disposed of elsewhere.
In Europe, countries like Germany can mostly handle this type of waste material. But in other European counties and other emerging markets, they are a long way from being able to handle even basic recycling.