(Credit: Lego)The Lego Group today announced plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a new factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The factory will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility, and 100% of its day-to-day energy needs will be matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The site will also be designed to minimize energy consumption and use of non-renewable resources.
The factory buildings and manufacturing processes will be designed to minimize energy use. The aim is to secure Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for the building once it’s completed, and an onsite solar park will be constructed which will match all the factory’s energy needs.
Construction will commence in fall 2022 with production projected to start in the second half of 2025.
Over the past few years, Lego has announced plans to invest up to $400 million over three years to accelerate sustainability and social responsibility initiatives. The investment will cover both long-term investments and ongoing costs.
It has also started a pilot program in the United States to recycle previously used bricks by donating them to nonprofits nationwide, and has achieved its goal to balance 100% of its energy use with energy from renewable sources.
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