In a move to encourage more sustainable play, The Lego Group first launched its bricks made of plant-based polyethylene in 2018, which included botanical elements such as leaves, trees and bushes. This paved the way towards the toymaker's commitment to making products using sustainable materials by 2030.
The Treehouse is one of the largest Lego Ideas sets yet released, and is a challenging build that features more than 3,000 parts and includes more sustainably manufactured bricks than any other set released to date: all 185 plants and leaves are made from more sustainable materials sourced from sugarcane. This includes the treetop canopy, which has interchangeable sets of green summer leaf elements and yellow and brown autumn leaf elements.
The Treehouse is an example of how the Lego Group uses co-creation to foster innovation, as the original idea was submitted through the Lego Ideas platform, where fans of the brand can upload their creative builds. Users then have a chance to review and support the model and, given sufficient support, the build can end up as a certified Lego set with the help of Lego master designers.
In this case, the model was submitted by fan designer Kevin Feeser from Nancy, France. Feeser's motivation for creating a treehouse stems from his passion for the great outdoors combined with his sophisticated Lego building skills.
The Ideas Treehouse model is available directly from Lego Certified Stores in Sandton City and Menlyn Park, or from www.greatyellowbrick.co.za from 1 August 2019.
