LEGO finally unveils the definitive version of the paper bags that will gradually replace their plastic counterparts. For the occasion, the manufacturer allowed me to obtain a copy of the "new version" of the LEGO Creator set 31111 Cyber ​​Drone (9.99 €) which contains two of these new bags and I was therefore able to discover a little more closely these sub-packaging which are a priori recyclable and more respectful of the environment even if these bags are not made of recycled paper.

These new pouches are sealed and not simply glued, so it is obvious that they contain plastic. After opening, we see that this is indeed the case with a completely coated interior which reinforces the structure of the bag and avoids any tears linked to the floating of the parts. They are also rather thin and we guess their content by transparency. A new reference specific to each sachet is also appearing.

The band to be removed to open these bags is pre-cut, the opening is therefore a little less destructive than that of the current bags, except to use a pair of scissors, and we can consider these new packaging as reusable to store the elements after dismantling. .

The interior of these new bags being coated with plastic, they can therefore be easily sealed using a machine, as was already the case with those currently available. These new sachets will not be immediately available in the entire inventory of the manufacturer, the transition will be spread out at least until 2025 with the progressive installation of the adapted production equipment in all the manufacturing units distributed across the world.

There are still a lot of plastic bags in LEGO products and not a lot of paper bags, even though the manufacturer promises us since 2021 a test phase which should in principle gradually lead to the replacement of the bags as we know them by a paper version.

If several copies of these new bags were present in the set offered to LEGO Group employees at the beginning of the year (4002021 The (Ninjago) Temple of Celebrations), the generalization of this initiative is still awaited. To keep us on the alert on the subject, LEGO is now adding a mini flyer in several of the June novelties and the document that I scanned for you, explains to us in several languages ​​that it is possible that we find a mixture of the two types of bags. in some of the boxes to come.

On my side, there is for the moment only plastic. If you come across a paper bag, do not hesitate to indicate it in the comments, then we will have confirmation that the transition is definitely well underway.

Lego announced a few weeks ago want to replace by 2025 the plastic bags containing the parts in the LEGO sets with recyclable paper versions from responsibly managed forests. Starting next year, a test phase will gradually launch this replacement process with new sachets that have already been tested with hundreds of children and parents.

The manufacturer had provided some "official" visuals of these test sessions with children but we discover today via eBay sale several of the prototypes used during these sessions with different patterns printed on the opaque bag. On one of these prototypes, there is even a complete visual of the set concerned.

Nothing says that the final version of these sachets will be one of the different variants presented here, but these visuals give us a little more precise idea of ​​what we will find in the few sets selected for the "life-size" test phase. which will begin in 2021. These new bags will not be present in all the sets of all the ranges, only a few products and a few geographical areas have been selected, so do not expect to easily find a set containing these new paper packaging from January next.

This is the announcement of the day: LEGO says it wants to invest the modest sum of $ 400 million over three years to accelerate the process of transition to a manufacturing process and more eco-responsible products.

Among the initiatives presented, we will particularly note the one which aims to permanently remove the internal plastic under-packaging currently present in LEGO sets by replacing them by 2025 with recyclable paper bags from responsibly managed forests. It will then be possible to consider that the entire packaging of a classic LEGO product will be recyclable: we will have plastic wrapped in paper that will be put in cardboard, all accompanied by a paper notice.

From 2021, a test phase will launch this replacement process with new sachets that have already been tested with hundreds of children and parents. It took two years and around fifteen prototypes to obtain the ideal bag, light, easy to open and to recycle. Judging from the visuals below, this new pouch will no longer be transparent.

On the sidelines of this very concrete initiative, LEGO confirms that it is continuing to work on the eco-responsible material which should one day replace ABS plastic in the manufacturing process of bricks and other elements. We often think that in 2015, the brand set itself the objective of achieving convincing results by 2030.

To date, LEGO has already successfully produced a biopolyethylene made from ethanol from the distillation of sugar cane and which is used for around 2% of the items in the catalog. LEGO promises that this "green" polyethylene will be at least as durable, flexible and durable over time as the plastic currently in use, those who purchased the set LEGO Ideas 21318 Treehouse can tell us about it again in a few years, it incorporates 185 plant elements made from this plastic.

This biopolyethylene is (fortunately) not biodegradable but it is recyclable via the same processes as conventional polyethylene. It should also be remembered that the use of sugar cane does not change either the manufacturing process or the mechanical and aesthetic properties of the plastic obtained at the outlet.

LEGO specifies that the investments made to arrive at the replacement of ABS for its entire inventory relate both to the research and testing phase of the miracle material but also to the design and manufacture of the industrial equipment that will be necessary. to its manufacture.

LEGO finally announces that its manufacturing operations will be carbon neutral by 2022 through the use of renewable energies for all production units installed around the world. In terms of recycling production waste, LEGO indicates that 93% of the waste produced is currently recycled, including 100% of plastic residues from production units. By 2025, the manufacturer intends to achieve 100% recycled waste.

Today we are quickly interested in the set LEGO 910032 Parisian Street, a creation by Nicolas Carlier who is currently a finalist of the Bricklink Designer Program Series 1. With its 3532 pieces, its 7 minifigs, its 18 stickers and its price set at €289.99, this model deserves in my opinion that we linger on it for the time of a review to check if the proposal is up to the level of the amount and patience needed to obtain it.

For those who don't know Nicolas Carlier (CARLIERTI), this is the one who submitted several times in the company of his brother Thomas (BRICK PROJECT) the now famous and failed Ratatouille project on the LEGO Ideas platform. Exiting through one door to enter through another, Nicolas Carlier submitted a unique creation as part of the Bricklink Designer Program and this Parisian street today has the honors of the program with its pre-order.

LEGO sent me a very preliminary copy without box or instruction booklet, with an inventory sorted in ordinary bags, unfinalized instructions in digital format and a sheet of temporary stickers. I was therefore able to assemble this 51 cm long by 12.5 cm deep model in the company of Chloé, who those who follow us on social networks already know.

The instructions were already at a sufficiently advanced stage to limit errors and other sequence reversals, although there was still work to be done and we had to use a little deduction for certain steps. There were also a few parts missing from the hand-sorted bags provided to us, but nothing serious.

The 18 stickers included in the temporary version are not printed on the usual paper but they do the job well once in place. They adorn the signs of the various businesses, the street signs and the painter's painting with the Eiffel Tower on the floors. It's graphically nicely executed, nothing to complain about.

Assembling the model is very pleasant, we start as if for a Structure through the base plates with their sidewalks and we gradually climb the floors, alternating the sequences of construction of walls, furniture and various and varied accessories. I am not giving you a detailed list of what you will find throughout the different sequences, the photos which illustrate this article speak for themselves.

It is important to note that LEGO did not intervene in the construction itself and that the product remains that imagined by its designer except for a few parts replaced for questions of logistics and availability.

I did not notice any particularly hazardous or risky techniques, the Carlier brothers are not novices and they know their ranges. They are therefore capable of offering an experience very similar to that which would be offered by an "official" product of the brand passed into the hands of experienced designers and this is excellent news for all those who might have been worried on this specific point .

Regarding the choice to offer a "doll's house" with facades on one side and furnished and fitted out alcoves on the other, Nicolas confirms that this is a deliberate choice. There was never any question of aping the principle of Modulars usually closed on all sides and the product was deliberately designed from the start as it will be delivered to the lucky purchasers.

Possible playability was one of the important criteria for its designer who therefore allowed himself to reserve one side for playful possibilities. The whole could therefore end its career by serving as a background layout in a diorama based on Modulars classics, the finish offered here being largely up to the standards offered at LEGO.

We also get here a real street, with several aligned buildings, the presence of a narrow alley with a staircase as well as a passage under one of the buildings. I find it all very successful with a nice mix of different architectures actually visible in the streets of Paris and the feeling of being in a real neighborhood, a point on which the set 10243 Parisian Restaurant left me hungry.

The colors used here are well chosen, the walls have character, the roofs are legible thanks to the contrast between beige and blue and the storefronts know how to stand out with their signs and their equipment which are also quite contrasting.

Nicolas Carlier was not stingy with the various internal arrangements, the furniture is very well designed and of the usual LEGO production level, the accessories are numerous and each space is therefore logically easily identifiable. The regulars of Modulars will be here on familiar ground with furniture of very good quality and a fairly successful use of the different spaces available, some of which are really very cramped.

All the alcoves are framed by an arch which guarantees exemplary solidity of the entire model, without the risk of the intermediate plates bending under the weight of the construction. For those wondering, the different floors and roofs are not designed to be separated from the model, with access to the interior spaces being defined on the rear side of the street.

The construction is accompanied by a large handful of figurines which brings a little animation to this shopping street, the different characters are well chosen and their accessories are matched. It's always a good idea for lovers of dense dioramas to find what they're looking for.

You will have understood, I find this product sufficiently accomplished to deserve our interest. It remains to accept the idea of ​​spending €290 on a set which is ultimately not an "official" product in the usual sense of the term.

We can obviously consider that the Bricklink Designer Program is a direct extension of the LEGO inventory, the platform having been bought by the Danish manufacturer, but I know that some fans remain resistant to these products and it is up to everyone to evaluate the relevance of the price in relation to the positioning of the sets concerned.

If you like the aesthetic and artistic touch of the Carlier siblings, don't hesitate to take a look at their site Brick Valley, you will find the instructions for other proposals of the same barrel as well as those for a series of mini Modulars which I find very successful. The two brothers also released two books on the theme of minis Modulars, you will find them on sale at Amazon:

LEGO Mini Modulars: Around The World

24.25 €

BUY

LEGO CITY - Mini Modulars book (Volume 2)

26.36 €

BUY

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 16th February 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.
Please note, I can only provide the complete inventory without instructions for the moment, you will have to wait for LEGO to officially make the relevant file available.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.