3 OCTOBER 2026 · MATERIALS

LEGO® introduces e-methanol into more than 90 elements

LEGO® has started using e-methanol, a renewable feedstock, to help produce more than 90 rigid elements. The parts named in the official announcement include Technic cross axles, connectors, steering wheels and even Minifigure hands.

The material is produced through a Power-to-X process: renewable energy is used to make hydrogen, which is then combined with carbon captured from a biogas facility that would otherwise have been released into the atmosphere.

A transition, not a complete replacement

The announcement is particularly interesting because it concerns functional elements subject to mechanical stress, where strength and precision are essential. LEGO® says it spent more than five years testing and integrating the material without compromising safety, quality or durability.

There is an important qualification. E-methanol is fed into a continuous production loop in which virgin fossil feedstock is still present. This does not mean that every affected element is made entirely from renewable material; it means LEGO® has begun progressively reducing the use of fossil sources in production.

For AFOLs: the change also affects Technic axles and connectors. Over time, it will be worth observing whether the new approach maintains the same colour consistency, precision and mechanical behaviour as current elements.

Source: LEGO® Group — e-methanol update