Can You Build a House With Eco-Friendly Lego Bricks?

If you remember playing with Legos back in the day, you know how it felt to seem like you could create anything. Some may have even had a pipe dream of creating their very own house made of these materials. Luckily, you can get one step closer to that dream by building with sustainable building blocks. Dubbed as the world’s eco-friendly Lego bricks, buildings made with these materials can weather rain or shine. 

What Are Sustainable Building Blocks and How Do They Work?

Sustainable building blocks are a revolutionary material that works like Lego Bricks. Renco U.S.A.’s efficient creation won the Innovation by Design Awards from Fast Company and Innovation for the Material category. 

Renco’s sustainable building blocks work by snapping into one another, containing grooves and slots for each brick to fit snugly. It’s reminiscent of the Lego toy bricks’ ability to interlock and stick firmly, creating tall structures without falling apart. 

Keep in mind that these building blocks are different from those miniature Lego bricks, meant for building construction purposes. Granted, the toymaker is trying to shift toward more sustainable materials like sugarcane and other recycled products themselves. 

What Makes This Building Blocks Sustainable?

It can be hard to think of how these interlocking blocks are sustainable, but several factors contribute to just how planet-friendly these are. Here are a few points to consider:

• Recyclable materials: Renco’s eco-friendly Lego bricks is comprised of recycled resin and fiberglass. They also contain virgin calcite dust, a naturally occurring mineral from the Earth’s crust. 

• Simplified assembly: Most building materials require heavy machinery and toxic bonding agents such as mortar. However, due to the interlocking mechanism in these blocks, minimal glue and rubber mallets are all that are needed. Even smaller construction teams are capable of handling these projects.

• Less weight: Sustainability should also focus on lowering embodied carbon emissions, which come from the transport and manufacturing of a material. The material composition of the sustainable building blocks weighs less than the average concrete block. Thus, it costs less energy to move around. 

How Can You Use Lego-Like Blocks for Eco-Friendly Projects?

Eco-friendly Lego bricks can be used for many eco-friendly projects, such as sustainable housing and compounds. While there are limits to using them for renovation, they are great for the creation or addition of newer buildings. 

The integration of these sustainable building blocks can even make regular projects more eco-friendly. After all, popular variations of sustainable building materials like precast concrete can only help you steer clear of unnecessary waste during construction. This option fully utilizes a different composition with recycled materials. 

Examples of Buildings Using Eco-Friendly Lego-like Bricks

Renco’s Lego bricks have already been used in Turkish buildings, creating homes, warehouses, and even synagogues. In the US, it is responsible for Lakewood Village in Florida’s Palm Beach County, which consists of four three-story-tall buildings. These have created 96 units that residents can stay in comfortably.

Another example is the case study house from another company. PLAEX Building Systems also created its own version of interlocking eco-friendly Lego bricks. Gaining traction in 2021, the company utilizes recycled agricultural plastic for its blocks. It also notes that the food-grade polymers are stable and free of off-gassing. 

What Are the Advantages of Using Sustainable Building Materials?

Building with sustainable building blocks is more than worth it. Here are the advantages of utilizing eco-friendly Lego bricks instead of other regular building materials.

1. Save Important Resources

Sustainable building materials are important for regulating resources. Most building materials are made from limited sources, which can cause an immediate shortage. With a growing population, compromising housing is not an option. 

Other sustainable building materials include traditional hardwood lumber, but these take up to 30 years to mature. Variations in the construction medium and branching out to solutions like eco-friendly Lego bricks are imperative to keeping resources distributed and utilized evenly. 

2. Lessen Environmental Impact

The construction industry should also prioritize minimizing environmental impact. The sector is responsible for about 40% of the energy generated in the United States, which has created many harmful emissions to the planet.

There’s also the matter of polluting the air and drinking water due to thoughtless construction practices. Using sustainable building materials is a good step toward championing green construction.

3. Increase Revenue

Utilizing sustainable materials may be more expensive since they are produced in smaller quantities. However, people are willing to spend an average of 9.7% more on sustainably sourced goods. With this trend continuing, construction companies can take advantage of this eagerness by providing these premium building blocks and services. 

4. Create Long-Lasting Structures

Another advantage of sustainable building materials is how long-lasting and efficient they are. It’s a common misconception that blocks with these recycled components are less durable than their regular counterparts. With the proper technique and trained eyes, construction companies can make a reputation for themselves while using sustainable building blocks. 

Build a Sustainable Lego House

Eco-friendly Lego bricks are surprisingly stable and sturdy, locking in with one another and forming reliable structures. Their incorporation in future construction projects can also make a breakthrough in lessening the industry’s negative environmental impact.