Danish toy manufacturer the Lego Group has announced its plans to further phase out single-use plastic used for packaging its Lego boxes.

The company has decided to replace its traditional plastic prepack bags with a more sustainable paper-based alternative.

The paper bags are made using materials derived from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests and FSC-controlled wood.

LEGO claims 95% of the material used for making these bags is paper and the remaining 5% material is a thin plastic coating that helps protect the bag from punctures while ensuring that the bag is properly glued together.

The toy manufacturer is planning to gradually roll out the new paper bags across Europe and Asia through 2024, followed by the launch of the bags in the American markets in the same year.

LEGO said that its paper-based bags are verified as recyclable in the US, Canada, and EU regions.

LEGO’s effort to switch to paper-based packaging commenced last year. The company deployed a team of designers and engineers to develop a bag that could replace plastic while meeting expected quality standards.

LEGO environmental responsibility vice-president Tim Brooks said: “The transition to paper-based bags is a significant milestone in the LEGO Group’s sustainable materials journey.

“Phasing out single-use plastic from our products has been very important to us as this material is rarely recycled, unlike paper-based bags.

“We committed to doing this three years ago and have faced a number of technical challenges to find a bag that would not compromise the high standards Lego fans expect from us.”