LEGO Adds E-Methanol Plastic to More Than 90 Element Types

A new ingredient in familiar parts

LEGO has begun using e-methanol in more than 90 plastic element types, including cross axles, connectors, steering wheels and Minifigure hands. These are small, familiar components, but the change matters because it puts an alternative material into parts made through established manufacturing processes. LEGO’s stated aim is to reduce its use of virgin fossil resources while fitting a renewable alternative into existing production.

That distinction is important. A material can look promising in a laboratory or in a limited trial and still prove difficult to introduce at manufacturing scale. It must work for the intended parts and fit the production methods already in use. LEGO says it spent more than five years testing and scaling e-methanol before bringing it into production, a timeline that gives some measure of the practical work behind a change that might otherwise sound simple.

The list of elements also offers a useful, if incomplete, view of the rollout. Axles and connectors perform functional roles, while steering wheels and Minifigure hands are visible pieces of a set. But the company hasn’t said what share of its total plastic output these more than 90 types represent. The number shows breadth across part types; on its own, it doesn’t show how much material has been replaced.

How the e-methanol is made

The e-methanol comes from a Denmark-based “Power-to-X” plant operated by clean energy provider European Energy. LEGO agreed to take deliveries in 2023, and the plant began operating last year. The production process combines captured biogenic CO2 with green hydrogen made on-site using renewable electricity. According to the source figures, the resulting e-methanol has up to a 97% lower carbon footprint than fossil-based products.

That comparison needs to be read with care. “Up to” describes a maximum reported reduction, not necessarily the result for every batch or every part made with the material. The available information doesn’t set out the accounting boundaries behind the comparison or explain how the figure applies to LEGO’s finished products. Still, the stated difference points to why the company sees e-methanol as a possible way to reduce reliance on fossil resources in its materials supply.

Power-to-X is a broad term for converting energy into other products. In this case, renewable electricity is used to make green hydrogen, which is then combined with captured biogenic CO2 to produce e-methanol. The relevant point for LEGO is that the resulting material can enter the company’s plastics production chain. That gives the company a route to introduce an alternative feedstock while continuing to use existing manufacturing infrastructure.

Scaling inside a continuous production loop

LEGO says e-methanol enters a continuous production loop that still includes virgin fossil material. That means the new input is being introduced into a system where materials are processed together, rather than kept entirely separate from fossil-based inputs. The company says this lets it begin increasing use of the alternative within its existing manufacturing processes.

Here’s the thing: making a change within an established production loop can help a company start using a new material without first replacing every part of its manufacturing system. But it also makes the scale of the change harder to judge from a headline count of element types. The company hasn’t provided, in the information here, a breakdown of the proportion of e-methanol in the loop or the total volume used. (And this is the part most people overlook.) A rollout can cover many kinds of parts while still representing a small share of the overall material mix.

“It’s been a complex journey. The challenge has not only been identifying a renewable alternative, but also working with suppliers to integrate the new material into existing manufacturing infrastructure and production methods. As such, the e-methanol is fed into a continuous production loop where virgin fossil is also present. This allows us to begin scaling the solution whilst reducing our use of virgin fossil.”

The quote points to a second part of the effort: suppliers have to work with the new material and production methods. A material change is only useful at scale if it can be made available and processed reliably enough for ongoing manufacturing. The source doesn’t describe the detailed supplier arrangements or production constraints, so the five-year period shouldn’t be treated as a universal benchmark for other materials. It does, however, show that integration took sustained testing rather than a quick substitution.

What the rollout says about LEGO’s target

The rollout supports LEGO’s goal of making products from more sustainable materials, including renewable or recycled resources, by 2032. The company said renewable and recycled content in materials used to produce its bricks reached 52% in 2025, up from 33% the year before. That’s a sizeable reported increase, though the figures alone don’t explain how much came from each type of material or how the calculation treats different inputs.

This is more significant than it looks, but the scale of the claim still needs context. The 52% figure concerns renewable and recycled content in materials used to produce bricks; it isn’t presented as a measure of the share of finished products made entirely without fossil-based material. And e-methanol’s arrival doesn’t mean the production loop has stopped using virgin fossil inputs. The company describes an incremental shift within a mixed stream.

If you’re working in this space, the useful question isn’t only whether an alternative material can be introduced, but whether its use can grow while meeting production needs. LEGO’s account suggests that compatibility with existing processes is part of its approach. That can make early adoption more practical, though it also means progress will be difficult to assess without figures on volume, share of input and expansion across the product range.

The test ahead

How quickly e-methanol can expand across LEGO’s product range will be a meaningful measure of progress. The company has established use across more than 90 element types and described a supply route tied to renewable electricity and captured biogenic CO2. The next question is whether it can increase the material’s role in production and make that growth clear to readers.

That said, the available facts leave important details open. LEGO hasn’t provided a specific amount of e-methanol used, the share it represents in the continuous production loop, or a timetable for adding more element types. Those omissions don’t erase the reported rollout; they limit what can be concluded about its current contribution. A broader range of parts would be a sign of progress, but the material’s share of total use would tell a fuller story.

For now, e-methanol is a concrete step in a longer materials effort, not evidence that LEGO has completed it. The company’s 2032 goal gives the rollout a wider context, while its reported increase in renewable and recycled content offers one marker of movement toward that aim. The hard part will be sustaining the shift at scale—and showing how much of the material mix has actually changed.