The LEGO Group has announced the launch of LEGO Replay, a pilot program that will accept any and all previously used LEGO bricks and donate them to children’s non-profits in the United States. The effort is a collaboration with Give Back Box, Teach For America, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
The process is simple: collect any loose LEGO bricks, sets, or elements, place them into a cardboard box, and visit www.lego.com/replay to print out a free UPS shipping label. The package will be sent to the Give Back Box facility, where each brick will be sorted, inspected by hand, and given a rigorous cleaning. This process is possible because LEGO bricks are made from durable materials that are designed to be used for generations.
“We know people don’t throw away their LEGO bricks,” says Tim Brooks, Vice President of Environmental Responsibility at the LEGO Group. “The vast majority hand them down to their children or grandchildren. But others have asked us for a safe way to dispose of or to donate their bricks. With Replay, they have an easy option that’s both sustainable and socially impactful.”
Brooks and his team spent the past three years working on the project to ensure the process met the highest quality and safety standards and adhered to US regulations. They then connected with Give Back Box, a charity dedicated to “recycling” 11 million tons of unused clothing, footwear, and other textiles that end up in US landfills each year.
“I am excited to join the LEGO Group in this pilot program,” says Monika Wiela, Founder of Give Back Box. “Growing up in Poland, I didn’t have many toys as a child, so this collaboration is rather personal for me. What’s better than giving a child the gift of play? For us, the number of donations we receive is critical to a successful campaign, so we’ve made it as easy as possible for folks at home to send in their idle bricks.”
Teach For America will receive the majority of the elements and will provide them to thousands of classrooms across the country.
“Learning through play can have a tremendous impact on a child’s cognitive development. Through play, children develop fine motor skills, think creatively, and can learn how to problem solve through teamwork,” says Susan Asiyanbi, Teach For America’s Chief Operating and Program Officer. “But not everyone has access to such resources. LEGO Replay, and the instructional resources they provide educators, will help give more students access to this opportunity.”
Bricks will also be sent to Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston for its after-school programs. Both non-profits can expect to receive the first shipments in November 2019. Once the pilot is complete in spring 2020, the LEGO Group will evaluate a possible expansion of the program.