The LEGO Pick-A-Brick (PAB) wall has always been an iconic part of LEGO Stores. Long before Australia had LEGO Certified Stores, LEGO fans would make pilgrimages to the walls of other countries. Long associated with those walls were the cups that people used to collect the bricks. But, as part of LEGO’s quest to become more environmentally friendly, soon those big plastic cups will be replaced with cardboard boxes.
There will be three sizes of box: a large one that’s roughly the same size as the large PAB cup, a medium one that’s to match the small PAB cup, and a small one that will replace the blister packs that currently accompany Build-A-Minifigs.
These boxes have been sent to LUGs (LEGO User Groups) around the country for testing and reports are largely positive. Richie Moir from Perth LUG made a blog post showing that the large box could hold the same number of 1×1 studs as a cup, while Wade Davey from MUGs (the Melbourne LEGO User Group) said in a Facebook comment that the boxes will be the same price as the plastic cups, despite being slightly larger.
This is part of LEGO’s quest to become more environmentally friendly, despite being a company famous for plastic toys.
“The LEGO Group is committed to playing our part in building a sustainable future for generations of children. We want our products to have a positive impact on the planet, not just with the play they inspire, but also with the materials we use. The transition to paper cups is just one of several different initiatives the company has in place to make a positive impact. We still have a long way to go on our journey but are pleased with the progress we’re making,” LEGO Australia and New Zealand vice president and general manager Troy Taylor said in a statement to Gizmodo Australia.
Those who remember the announcement that LEGO bricks will soon come in paper bags instead of plastic, but are still waiting to encounter a set with only paper bags (like me), might be wondering how many years they are to wait until the cardboard boxes come to stores in Australia. Turns out, there isn’t long to go, with the boxes expected to roll out before the end of the year.