Ideas for TLG going more "green"

[Klaus-Dieter]

Hello everybody!

With the awesome promo set 4999 Vestas Wind Power Plant , the brilliant 7747 Wind Turbine Transport , the excellent bus in the great 7641 City Life set and the option for a Public Transportation Center as a City fan's choice set in summer 2010 it's obvious that TLG wants to put a sign for less polution and more use of rechargeable energy resources and public tranportation vehicles.

In my opinion - and I think and hope that the most of youbagree with me - this is a very welcome decision to become award of more using these options which will be very important of the future of us and our (future) children.

Now the question arises what else TLG could do to go more "green".

So please vote in the poll above whether you'd like some more "green" sets and please share your thoughts and ideas for Lego sets and measures TLG could do in their production and selling process!

Klaus-Dieter

Edited May 5, 2009 by Klaus-Dieter

[furious]

Smaller boxers. I hate that the boxers are only at most half full. It would save on transport costs.

[brickzone]

I don't know what it is like in other countries, but Lego could perhaps lobby the retail sector to be more energy-conscious (and save themselves money!) Here in Ireland, even now in May, it isn't especially warm. Yet many retail developments here, *especially* recent ones, have *ZERO* insulation (e.g. warehouse style retail parks with plastic panel walls, steel frame and metal roofing). Even worse, they are then heated to temperatures sufficiently high for employees to wear short-sleeve shirts. There is a distinct lack of natural light too, so they have to be floodlit inside. You have to drive to these developments, and that means they have huge carparks taking up land, causing a drainage issue and interfering with the local conditions.

Anyway, I do not think Lego themselves are the biggest environmental factor between Lego sets starting as natural resources, and ending up as sets in your own house.

Edited May 5, 2009 by brickzone

[mikey]

I think these sets are great, firstly they are not Police, Fire, Construction etc., they are a little bit different. They look superb, and reflect environmental issues current to all of us. I hope they continue and are widely available...

Smaller boxers. I hate that the boxers are only at most half full. It would save on transport costs.

I don't know what it is like in other countries, but Lego could perhaps lobby the retail sector to be more energy-conscious (and save themselves money!)...

I think this a reflection of our society, that 'Big' is 'Better', and these are problems which need to be tackled, or all the renewable energy will not save us from our relentless need to have 'More'!

In some ways Lego is the original recycled product, constantly reused, passed down families, and traded on BrickLink, eBay, etc.,

So whilst resources are used in production, transport and retail, the lifespan of the product is a very long time so perhaps is a justifiable use of carbon!

[legotrainfan]

TLC released a Volkswagen Beetle, so they could also release a Toyota Prius. For those who don't know it: Prius is a hybrid car that uses electricity for slower velocities and petrol for higher speed. A hydroelectric power plant would also be a great thing; a dam holding back water. But this is unrealistic. It'd be a very big set and is thus left for people who are into moccing. Since I'm a train lover, I'd simply say: Release more trains! Trains need electricity and no petrol, so they are "green."

Smaller boxers. I hate that the boxers are only at most half full. It would save on transport costs.

Agreed. I've been wondering why they use such big boxes. Big boxes need more paper to be produced and shipping is more expensive with big boxes than with small ones.

Edited May 5, 2009 by legotrainfan

[Batbrick]

Pha! As if for me, I'm still waiting on an awesome nuclear plant set, or a industry set with smoke stacks!

Batbrick Away!

[Natman8000]

Pha! As if for me, I'm still waiting on an awesome nuclear plant set, or a industry set with smoke stacks!

Batbrick Away!

Exactly the same! We need some post-apoc sets that are really gritty.

[Freddie]

TLC released a Volkswagen Beetle, so they could also release a Toyota Prius. For those who don't know it: Prius is a hybrid car that uses electricity for slower velocities and petrol for higher speed.

Pity that it still uses the petrol-engine to generate all of the electricity used by electric motor. The new model rectificies this, though, with overnight-charging capabilities. Still, I think it would be a neat idea if LEGO would group together with say, Tesla (who builds electric sportscars) or maybe Fisker (petrol-electric plug-in serial hybrid) for models of cars in the future.

Trains also would be a good idea, as these are always heralded as favourable to regular road-transport.

[Rijkvv]

I doubt if electrical cars can really be called "green". Where is the electricity generated? In a power plant. Yes, I know about solar-, wind- and nuclear energy, but that's only a small part of the total.

However, the image of electrical cars is good. And I don't mind if I get a Tesla for my birthday, if it's a real one or a LEGO one.

[DarthSion]

Meh, dont buy city stuff, but if they got a license for stargate that would be cool, zpms are green.

Maybe that hydro car May reviewed on the last top gear would be a start.

[drdavewatford]

Sorry to venture off-topic, but I think the Toyota Prius is dreadful - barely more economical than the average exclusively petrol-engined car (and in fact some cars with superior performance are more economical....), hideously boring to drive, and looks terrible. I applaud those who consider the environment when they chose a car, but you really have to dislike driving to buy a Prius....

I fully agree with the earlier poster who described Lego as the ultimate recycleable toy, and I think there's a great advertising campaign for TLC in there !

Dr. D.

[Rijkvv]

Another idea for a "green" car (although I think "brown" is a better word):

Chocolate-powered racing car.

[Johnnhiszippy3]

Has anyone noticed how small the box for the Emeral Night is? And it isn't half-full. Same for the Medieval Market. Maybe Lego is attempting smaller boxes on some sets to see if they sell less. Or maybe only on sets marketed towards older "kids"

I think the worst box-size-to-piece-ratio is on licensed sets. One that really comes to mind is the Star Wars Spider Droid.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who love their instruction booklets too much, but if Lego stopped printing instructions and instead offered them only online, this would save a lot of paper, printing, and shipping weight (not to mention some cost) - especially on sets with 3 booklets!

[MarcusV3]

Has anyone noticed how small the box for the Emeral Night is? And it isn't half-full. Same for the Medieval Market. Maybe Lego is attempting smaller boxes on some sets to see if they sell less. Or maybe only on sets marketed towards older "kids"

I think the worst box-size-to-piece-ratio is on licensed sets. One that really comes to mind is the Star Wars Spider Droid.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who love their instruction booklets too much, but if Lego stopped printing instructions and instead offered them only online, this would save a lot of paper, printing, and shipping weight (not to mention some cost) - especially on sets with 3 booklets!

Of course that would be fine with me but what about people without Computers? That could become a major problem to lego fans in poor areas

[Athos]

How about a set of environmentalist wackos torching a SUV dealership?

Steve

[mrchris]

make the plastic bags that the bricks are packed in out of corn starch instead of oil.

and smaller boxes.

[Zarkan]

I voted yes, as I really don't care what the City sets are about as long as they are well designed and aren't just new versions of something we've already gotten. More civilian sets for the win!

How about a set of environmentalist wackos torching a SUV dealership?

Steve

[prateek]

i don't really care if they have "green" sets. But i do agree on lego and fisker or tesla, that'll be awesome

[Tom Bricks]

I think that the boxes are so big because they need to be the same size as other similarly priced toys on the shelves. Compared to other toys however there is way less packaging in lego boxes. For green sets I think they could use more foliage in their sets and add some printed tiles as solar panels on some of the houses.

[Klaus-Dieter]

It's great to see so many people interested in this topic!

I of course voted for Yes, of course - TLG should release more "green" sets!

(otherwise I wouldn't have started this topic )

You mentioned a lot of great ideas to reduce environmental polution and useless waste of natural ressources - great.

I totally agree with the most of you that TLG really should reduce the seize of the boxes of Lego sets since the most of them are much too large for what is included. And apart from that big boxes rise the price for TLG but even for us customers it uselessly polutes the environment and waste without use our natural ressources. (When the boxes are bigger they need more place when transporting them via trucks and plane. But trucks need gas and planes need kerosine. Both fuels polute our environment with CO2 and other toxic gases and they are made out of oil - one of our high demanded natural ressources.)

I remember when I bought the last version of the AT-ST in 2007 the box was maximum 1/4 full - that's really absurd. But not only the boxes of licensed sets such as SW are much too big for their indegriedants but even the boxes of regular themes and mainly the boxes of regular bricks in the Creator theme! The first set of the last years I remember where the big size of the box was really justified was the awesome 10184 Town Plan since the box was filled nearly until the top.

If TLG thinks that their sets won't sell that good if they make the boxes much smaller then I'd say that they err: Experienced Lego fans such as we but even kids which have been playing or building with Lego for a long time know the high quality of TLG's products. And for those who are irritated by the smaller box size (right when the size of boxes of other toy companies perhaps doesn't change) TLG could add a sign on every box which points out that the boxes are now smaller not because the quality or quantity of the sets got worse but because TLG wants to do something for protecting our environment - the sign could perhaps have the writing "Attention! Smaller box for protecting our environment!". What do you think about this idea?

But not only with changes in the producing, transportating and selling process could be done a lot - even with more environmental sets such as 4999, 7641 and 7747.

The idea of adding some solar cells as stickers on top of a house in the City theme would surely be a great idea. But even better would be imo to release a City set with a family house which has a real solar cell on its roof. When the power of the sun or electric light then shines on it some lights at the entrance or maybe even inside the house light up. This set would imo sell very well since it would combine the nice with the utile: Many, many AFOLs (me included) wait for a new, big and more detailed family house with great minifigs, a family car and some nice accessory now for years. And JFOLs surely would like a family house, too, since for many of them it's the place they are living in or if not it's at least something of their every day life. So even Lego fans which would not buy a set which included only environmental indegriedants would buy this set since they would like to get a family house anyway. Do you agree or not?

For the Castle theme there could be released an ancient windmill in the lines of the 10193.

For the Western theme there could be released a Western farm with wind wheel.

Klaus-Dieter

Edited May 6, 2009 by Klaus-Dieter

[Eilif]

Alot of folks have mentioned shrinking the size of boxes. It should be noted that LEGO actually has just done this. In the LEGO magazine "The Brick" they talk about how they have shrunk the size of their boxes and limited the number of different box sizes so that they can be more efficiently packed.

I don't have The Brick in front of me, but I seem to remember that it would take several hundred less trucks a year to ship the sets. Taking a look at the most recent boxes, they are significantly slimmer (less deep) than before. The height and with are still larger than necessary, but that's a function of necessity to attract customer attention.

[Tyrant]

More "green" sets and ideas would be good. I agree with idea that putting solar cells on houses or in the yard on home sets would be nice. Perhaps smaller wind driven generators as well for some variety. It would be nice if an initiative like this would lead to a Castle era windmill as well. Perhaps even a larger waterwheel like the type that's used to turn a grindstone (although I believe that is the same purpose for the windmill, but diversity is good).

Of course I also agree with Batbrick that we need some power plants. Nuclear or otherwise. They would have to be scaled down obviously. Perhaps a small scale hydro electric power plant.

I agree with the need for smaller packages. It is nice that they are making them thinner. At least they aren't filled with wasteful cardboard and plastic ties like action figure vehicles usually are.

[Klaus-Dieter]

Alot of folks have mentioned shrinking the size of boxes. It should be noted that LEGO actually has just done this. In the LEGO magazine "The Brick" they talk about how they have shrunk the size of their boxes and limited the number of different box sizes so that they can be more efficiently packed.

I don't have The Brick in front of me, but I seem to remember that it would take several hundred less trucks a year to ship the sets. Taking a look at the most recent boxes, they are significantly slimmer (less deep) than before. The height and with are still larger than necessary, but that's a function of necessity to attract customer attention.

Thank you very much for that information, Eilif!

I didn't know that TLG already resized the boxes - good job, TLG!

Nevertheless the changes can not be too big - I indeed did buy only very few sets until now (you can see in my signature) since the most of the sets I want are firstly comming out in summer. But at the sets I bought until now I regrettably must say that - apart from the Farm set which I didn't open yet but about which size I was a bit iritated since it looked a bit strange in comparison to the other sets of the same price class - I didn't notice any smaller boxes. Mainly the box of the Harvester but even the one of the City Minifigure Collection were totally oversized.

But there is hope for improvement! And perhaps it's even better if TLG resizes the boxes not to rapidly.

Of course I also agree with Batbrick that we need some power plants. Nuclear or otherwise. They would have to be scaled down obviously. Perhaps a small scale hydro electric power plant.

I agree with you, Tyrant.

A nuclear power plant would be cool. But in environmental consideration it's not optimal because of the nuclear waste.

But what about a nuclear fusion plant (nuclear fusion )?

Klaus-Dieter

Edited May 6, 2009 by Klaus-Dieter

[Tyrant]

A nuclear power plant would be cool. But in environmental consideration it's not optimal because of the nuclear waste.

But what about a nuclear fusion plant (nuclear fusion )?

Klaus-Dieter

I know in the US there is a general negative stigma associated with nuclear power plants. Hopefully the president's recent comments will convince people to at least look at the facts and not just believe the fear mongering. I thought that Europeans had a generally more accepting view of them? The waste is still an issue though. I doubt LEGO will make one or anything like it anyway. It would be nice though.

A fusion power plant on the other hand. That has potential. I think most people view that as the wonder solution (and from what I understand of it, it could be if it can be made to work and kept under control). They would probably have to make up the design as they go though as the real ones are still not in design yet because the process hasn't become workable yet (from what I have read on it anyway).

[xenologer]

A fusion power plant on the other hand. That has potential. I think most people view that as the wonder solution (and from what I understand of it, it could be if it can be made to work and kept under control). They would probably have to make up the design as they go though as the real ones are still not in design yet because the process hasn't become workable yet (from what I have read on it anyway).

A Cold Fusion power plant would be funnier.

How about a Solar Power Plant? Just imagine all the wonderful metallic grille tiles you'd get in that.

And I definetly agree with smaller boxes.

I'd actually be inclined to buy More sets if they were smaller.

I ride a 'green' bicycle to go shopping, and often times the bigger sets just don't appeal to me because they'd be so hard to carry on my bike.