WindMade is a new consumer label program recently launched signifying companies that have committed to sourcing at least a quarter of their operations power consumption from wind energy. Among the first companies to display the logo will be Lego. 

WindMade doesn’t require each company to have wind turbines in their parking lots. It can be procured through a company-owned wind power generation facility situated elsewhere, a power purchase agreement for wind power, or the purchase of WindMade approved Renewable Energy Certificates.
 
Here’s the logo to look for that signifies WindMade products:

 

.. and you can learn more about the program here.
 
Aside from Lego, among the other pioneer/founding members of the program are Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank, BD, Method, Better Place, Widex, G24 Innovation and Bloomberg.

More on Lego environmental initiatives

According to Lego’s corporate responsibility report (PDF) from last year, the company met its short term target for 2010 on energy efficiency and aims to ditch fossil fuels for powering its operations altogether by 2020. 

Lego stated it had also reached and exceeded its target for recycling its own waste and started initiatives to reduce waste in the LEGO Group value chain. In 2010, 87% of the company’s waste was recycled versus a target of 80%.

While Lego bricks may be made of plastic, they are an enduring product. It appears that even Lego bricks made over 50 years ago still interlock with those made today. It’s certainly a pleasant change from the instances of shoddy goods and planned obsolescence so common today.

Lego bricks are made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a plastic commonly used on car trims and bumpers.

As far as I know, Lego bricks cannot be recycled; but after looking around on a few online Lego communities, the suggestion of recycling the plastic in the bricks generates protest or putting old Lego in the trash, even stronger reactions – the reason being there is a big demand for old Lego and some of it is quite valuable (relatively speaking). 

It also seems there is quite a tradition becoming established whereby Lego is passed down from generation to generation.

While Lego may not be green in terms of the plastic used, it’s nice to see a product that stirs up such horror when the suggestion of throwing it away is raised – even among those who aren’t particularly concerned about the environment.