LEGO Canada has a corporate social responsibility (CSR) to assist Canada in reducing their plastic recycling waste as their products consist of mainly plastic granulate (ABS; LEGO, n.d.c). It has been reported that plastic waste pollutes oceans and bodies of water, including the Great Lakes (Nelson, 2018). This endangers marine life as they often mistaken small plastic pieces to be food. Modern consumers are more aware of social problems and “require that firms do not operate only in accordance with the logic of profit, but [to] also…improve their social and environmental background” (Boccia & Sarnacchioaro, 2018, p. 151). Therefore, LEGO Canada should accept this opportunity to further improve their environmental leadership by providing a LEGO bricks recycling collection program.
Background …show more content…
In 1997, a cargo of millions of LEGO pieces fell into the ocean due to intense waves that hit the ship. After 21 years, locals of Cornwall, Devon, and Wales have continuously found LEGO on shores (Mitchell, 2014). Although this issue was unintentional, the millions of LEGO pieces still contribute to the plastic pollution that causes dangers for marine and coastal animals (Cacciottolo, 2014). Coastal areas and shores accumulate a large amount of plastic waste near local towns and neighbourhoods, which contaminates water sources and living conditions. News media sites have published photos of plastic waste found on shorelines, which sometimes reveal iconic products such as LEGO. This may negatively impact LEGO because the news articles appear to frame LEGO as one of the contributors to ocean pollution. In addition, plastic accounts for 85% of pollution in the ocean (The Canadian Press, 2018). Therefore, although the company is currently researching how to make LEGO bricks 100% biodegradable (Barrett, 2018), it only resolves a part of the problem and does not deal with the already manufactured plastic
Background …show more content…
In 1997, a cargo of millions of LEGO pieces fell into the ocean due to intense waves that hit the ship. After 21 years, locals of Cornwall, Devon, and Wales have continuously found LEGO on shores (Mitchell, 2014). Although this issue was unintentional, the millions of LEGO pieces still contribute to the plastic pollution that causes dangers for marine and coastal animals (Cacciottolo, 2014). Coastal areas and shores accumulate a large amount of plastic waste near local towns and neighbourhoods, which contaminates water sources and living conditions. News media sites have published photos of plastic waste found on shorelines, which sometimes reveal iconic products such as LEGO. This may negatively impact LEGO because the news articles appear to frame LEGO as one of the contributors to ocean pollution. In addition, plastic accounts for 85% of pollution in the ocean (The Canadian Press, 2018). Therefore, although the company is currently researching how to make LEGO bricks 100% biodegradable (Barrett, 2018), it only resolves a part of the problem and does not deal with the already manufactured plastic